


Holly Jolly Pridecember

by KaiLilly9



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga), yu-gi
Genre: M/M, Prideshipping, YGOPridecember2020, Yu-Gi-Oh! Pridecember, ygopridecember
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:13:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 31,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27825820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaiLilly9/pseuds/KaiLilly9
Summary: A compilation of mini stories for the Pridecember2020 list! Stories follow simple prompts given, following the various relationship escapades of one Seto Kaiba and Atem Mutou, both AU and in world.
Relationships: Atem & Kaiba Seto, Atem & Priest Seto, Atem/Kaiba Seto, Kaiba Seto/Yami Yuugi, Kaiba Seto/Yami Yuugi | Atem, Ryou Bakura/Yuugi Mutou
Comments: 24
Kudos: 50





	1. Coffee

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt 1: Coffee  
> Rating: PG
> 
> NOTES: AU world where Atem and Seto have been in a relationship for over ten years, Atem is a model/spokesman for Kaiba Corp.

As Seto entered the kitchen, his nose wrinkled from the smell of steeping beans assaulting his senses. “How in the hell can you drink that sludge?”

Atem glanced up from where he was pouring hot water over freshly ground beans nestled in their filter. “Good morning to you too, Baby. Want a cup?”

Seto rolled his eyes, “What kind of dumb question is that?”

It was early morning, around the time they both woke up to get ready for the day and, like always, Seto stayed upstairs to shower first while Atem went downstairs to begin his morning routine; boiling water in his favorite long necked kettle, grinding whole coffee beans and transferring them over to the drip coffee maker. Where the very idea of coffee made Seto’s nose wrinkle in disgust, when the smell of freshly ground beans hit his nose, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, already feeling the dredges of sleep leaving his mind. What was also routine was Seto’s response when he came downstairs. He walked in, made a face, and then walked over to kiss the top of Atem’s head, eyeing the coffee maker with disdain.

Chuckling, Atem finished swirling the water over the coffee grounds and sat upon the stool by the kitchen island, red robe haphazardly tied around his waist. “I drink it because it is delicious,” He replied, answering his lover’s previous query. He leaned back against the firm body behind him, and motioned to the counter with his chin. “I boiled extra water and your matcha is waiting next to your favorite travel mug.” 

Seto let out a small huff and trudged toward said area, uncapping the matcha container and scooping a few spoonfuls into the tumbler. Now this was the correct way to wake up in the morning. Tea. Made correctly, on its own it was warm, flavorful, and gave him a boost of energy that would last for the whole day. Unlike coffee. He still had no idea how anyone could actually like drinking coffee. Personally, he couldn’t stand the stuff. The bitterness clung to his taste buds and nose, and no amount of brushing, mouth wash, or mints could get rid of it. Caffeine? The effects of coffee lasted for all but an hour before his tiredness returned and would require him to consume another, dreaded cup. Why not use sugar and milk to help the bitterness? Seto was not a fan of sweets, on top of it, he was lactose intolerant. He’d rather just avoid it at all costs. 

Atem, on the other hand, loved coffee. He only liked whole beans, he refused to buy anything already ground, would scoff when he heard people used Keurigs, and would not give anyone the time of day if he found out they used instant coffee for anything other than whipped coffee cream. The only way was drip coffee, beans ground fresh every morning and served black. The best aroma of coffee shouldn’t be tainted with milk or sugar, he’d say. His day would never be complete without his daily cup. Sometimes even three cups a day; perhaps sprinkled with cinnamon occasionally if he felt festive. 

For now though, he would stick with his normal coffee, watching it drip into the clear glass container patiently. Atem yawned and then turned his attention to his boyfriend as he poured water into his mug, using the mini frother to mix up the matcha a bit. He found it amusing that so many people just assumed the brilliant CEO drank coffee because of his work ethic; as if coffee was the only drink that gave people energy. Or maybe it was a stereotype for big company owners? Atem wasn’t sure but he’d been on many business lunches and dinners to notice that almost everyone ordered coffee after eating, except for Seto. In fact, if anyone ever ordered him a coffee ahead of time, he would give a curt thank you and immediately pass it on to Atem. Not that he cared; he got two coffees for the price of one. 

“What is your schedule like today?” Seto’s question pulled Atem out of his thoughts and he sat up a bit, scratching the back of his head. 

“Hmm… I have a photo shoot around eleven and then a tv recording later around three,” he said, fingers tapping against the marble top. “I should be home for dinner though. You still meeting with Pegasus today?”

“Mhm,” Seto nodded and turned, leaning against the counter as he sipped his tea. “Lunch meeting to discuss a possible new tournament for the unveiling of new cards. I’m sure he‘ll be devastated knowing you won’t be joining us.”

Atem chuckled and stood, finding his favorite mug. “It’s not my fault he likes to flirt,” he said, pouring his freshly brewed coffee, “besides, I know you scheduled this meeting on a day you knew I wouldn’t be available. I know how my baby thinks.”

“Hnn!” Seto narrowed his eyes and poked Atem in the side when he walked back, snickering at his yelp. “You act like you know everything about me.”

“Well shouldn’t I?” Atem smirked and wrapped his free arm around Seto’s waist, resting his chin against his chest. “I mean, we’ve been together now for what, ten years? Ever since that day you hired me to be a spokesman for Kaiba Corp. You think I really don’t know my boyfriend?” He took a gulp of his coffee and almost spit it back out when Seto made a face. He snickered and swallowed, grabbing Seto by the tie and tugging him down to kiss him deeply.

Atem pulled back with a hum and grin, laughing when Seto smacked him lightly on the backside, and licked his lips before stepping back. “Now scoot, you’ll be late for work,” he said, walking out of the kitchen to finish getting ready for the day. 

Seto huffed and licked his lips, watching his boyfriend leave. Okay… so maybe there was ONE way he enjoyed coffee. 

TBC...


	2. Desire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 2: Desire  
> Rating: PG
> 
> NOTES: AU world where Atem and Seto have been in a relationship for over ten years, Atem is a model/spokesman for Kaiba Corp.
> 
> What makes a person desirable? The answer may surprise you.

* * *

“Seto, Baby…”

“Hmm?”

“Am I desirable?”

Seto looked up from his laptop. They were outside today, lounging out by the large pool on a sunny, Saturday afternoon. Seto sat at the patio table, doing some light work, and Atem was laying in his favorite lounge chair, dressed in loose swim trunks and sunglasses, a magazine in his lap. His skin positively glowed due to the suntan lotion slathered all over his body and the young CEO narrowed his eyes. How on earth could he say such a thing?

Shaking his head, Seto closed his laptop and stood, walking over to the other male still resting like an exotic jungle cat. He brought one knee up to rest on the plush cushions, gripping the back of the chair so he loomed over Atem and smirked. “That is probably the dumbest thing you have ever asked me,” he said, leaning down to kiss the other.

He let out a small “oomph!” when his face collided with glossy paper.

“I’m being serious here,” Atem replied, bringing the magazine down to expose his pouting lover. “Am I desirable?”

“Of course you are,” Seto huffed and sat on the edge of the lounger, arm now resting along the back. “What the hell brought all of this up suddenly? Aren’t you the one that is always sprouting sonnets to your own beauty?”

“I just have to keep up with your own attitude,” Atem said and laughed when Seto rolled his eyes and bumped their heads together.

“So I ask again,” Seto began, “what brought this on?” Atem held up the magazine he was reading and Seto raised an eyebrow. “Since when did you read magazines? And women’s magazines at that?”

“I don’t,” Atem flipped through the pages until he came to an article. “But I like to collect the ones I’ve been in.”

Ah, yes. That photo shoot. Atem was asked months ago to do an exposé about the growing number of female admirers and what effects it had in the dueling community, and Seto had scoffed at the idea; what they really wanted to know were the juicy details about his relationship with Atem. While he hadn’t been delighted about it, he also knew that it would be good exposure for the company, and Atem was a spokesman, so he signed off on it. He left all of the edits up to Atem, however, and now he was starting to second guess that judgement.

“Did they say something about you?” Seto asked and reached out for the magazine but Atem held it back.

The Egyptian shook his head. “No of course not. I proofread the entire interview myself.” He turned a few pages and held it up again. “But there was this article here that happened to catch my eye.”

Atem finally relinquished the magazine and Seto read the title. Discover New and Exciting ways to Make Yourself Desirable! They Really Work! He skimmed through the article and snorted in disgust. Seriously? Do people actually read this type of drivel and actually follow what they are being told? With a roll of his eyes, Seto tossed the magazine onto the side table and then looked at his lover. Atem had a strange look on his face. Even with his eyes hidden by sunglasses, the billionaire could feel the intense gaze; Atem wanted a truthful answer.

“Why do you care what some magazine deems desirable?” Seto asked, leaning down a bit, obscuring the sun on Atem’s face.

“I don’t,” The smaller male replied and Seto gave him a look. “... okay maybe I do a little bit. We’ve been together for a while now and I just have to wonder. I’ve heard stories about couples losing interest in each other after a few years of dating and I thought…”

“Sometimes you need to stop thinking,” Seto replied, snickering and swatting Atem’s fingers that went to pinch his side. “Baby, when we first met all those years ago, I thought you were the most arrogant, obnoxious, and sexiest thing I’d seen in any dueling arena. Then you took my title,” Atem laughed and Seto growled, nipping his neck, causing him to laugh harder.

“Seto!”

“And then your arrogant ass continued to beat me in duels, causing our two year long rivalry,” the other continued, shifting so he and Atem lay together on the lounger, his arm resting over the smaller man’s waist, “Throughout those two years, my desire for you was always there. My desire to kick your ass soundly in a duel, which, I finally did,” he grinned, “and my desire to have you all to myself. That duel finally led to our first date, which then led to you moving into the mansion, and it’s been over a decade. Even now, just looking over when you asked that question, I desired you.”

Atem grinned brightly and scooted closer, head resting on Seto’s shoulder. “Glad to see you noticed all my subtle hints,” he said, “... what about me do you like?”

“Besides the fact you are personified sex on legs?” Seto asked and Atem laughed again.

“No, that’s you, my dear.”

“Whatever,” Seto rolled his eyes, cheeks slightly pink. “The point is, even though you are incredibly attractive outwardly, it was your fighting spirit that kept me interested. I’d never seen anyone as passionate as you. Your loyalty to those weird people you call friends, your cousin Yuugi, even how you continued to pester me to be your friend. You have a dedication to life that I never had. You showed me that I could trust again.” He smiled and tucked a few blonde strands behind Atem’s ear. “You show me your vulnerability… and I can show you mine. You don’t need to always be dressed up for me to desire you. And I don’t need some article to tell me what is desirable and what’s not.”

Atem pulled off his sunglasses so he could see Seto’s face properly. Seto was not a person to delve deep into his emotions, he knew this, and it took years for his tall lover to actually open up about his past. So when he did open up like this, the Egyptian felt his heart swell. He was the only person allowed to see this side of Seto; see his vulnerability and gentleness. People only knew Seto Kaiba as a cold hearted, yet passionate, businessman who was considered a workaholic and void of any true, human emotion.

Yet, they were never there when Seto’s self confidence would falter; when his insecurities would flare and he would lay with Atem in their bed, curled up tight around him as he tried to regain his composure. No one knew of the CEO’s demons that haunted him at night. They could ignore the nasty words people called him behind his back, that chipped away his icy exterior, drowning him in doubt and self hatred.

Atem saw it all, and he understood what Seto meant now. He wanted to be the person Seto could come to when he felt bad or unsure. He desired to be that person that saw the real person underneath that facade. He desired that trust to be the rock to anchor his lover to reality, and stop the spiraling depression everyone felt at one point. His desire ran past the superficial and dug deeper, wanting to cement itself into the other until it could no longer budge.

That’s what made someone desirable.

Atem wrapped his arms around Seto’s neck and pulled him down to lock lips, humming as his lover deepened the kiss. Their legs tangled together and when Seto pulled away, Atem bumped their noses together gently.

“I also like that,” Seto said with a soft smile, bumping their noses again. “I desire your stupid little love bumps.”

Atem snickered and then leaned in, licking Seto’s cheek. Seto shouted and leaped after his lover who jumped off the lounger, grabbing the other around the waist and yanked him into the pool.

Maybe not all touches were desirable.

TBC...


	3. Hot Cocoa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 3: Hot Cocoa  
> Rating: G
> 
> NOTES: AU world where Atem and Seto have been in a relationship for over ten years, Atem is a model/spokesman for Kaiba Corp. 
> 
> Yuugi is off in London with his cousin, his boyfriend and his own boyfriend, Ryou, and contemplates relationships over some hot cocoa. 
> 
> A bit of my own personal indulgence of RyouxYuugi as Yuugi contemplates his cousins’s open relationship with his lover.

* * *

“Yuugi, if you ask for any more marshmallows, your teeth are going to fall out!!” Ryou laughed as his boyfriend stuck out his tongue and continued squirmed happily as the barista added another spoonful of white fluff into his cup. It was no shock that Yuugi had a bit of a sweet tooth, but honestly, who ruined a good cup of hot cocoa with a cavity creator? He preferred a good old fashioned hot chocolate with exactly three marshmallows. Now  _ that  _ was the perfect drink. 

“Hey, they offer you Santa shaped marshmallows with your hot cocoa and you take it,” Yuugi argued, making sure his cup was secure in his hands and taking a deep breath in. It was mid-December, and Yuugi had been invited to spend Christmas in London with his cousin and billionaire boyfriend of five years. Naturally, he asked Ryou to come with him and knew Atem wouldn’t mind; Seto even offered to pay for his ticket and that made him smile. 

At least Seto found one of his friends he could stand. 

Yuugi took a sip of his hot cocoa and looked around at the little square. They were in the center of the city, having just left the beautiful Winter Wonderland attraction after eating at a fantastic restaurant. Now, they were strolling through the Christmas Market along the riverside. Thousands of lights, garland, and ornaments decorated almost every surface and Yuugi loved every minute of it. Japan did have its own traditions for Christmas - he was a little disappointed that they wouldn’t be getting KFC this year - but nothing could compare to the majesty that was Western Culture Christmas. The decorations, Christmas tales, the music, food, and the drinks. 

Oh my goodness the drinks! Before today, Yuugi had never tried hot mulled wine before, but one taste and he knew he’d be addicted. And the hot cocoa! Never had he tasted anything so rich and creamy in his life! The marshmallows were his favorite part, even if his boyfriend of three years thought him silly. At least Ryou never tried to change him. 

In fact, he made Yuugi feel like himself again. 

Ryou smiled and reached over to take one of Yuugi’s hands in his, gently squeezing. Together, they walked along the street, listening to families laughing, carolers singing, and a variety of music emanating from the plethora of pubs packed with customers. It was chaotic and he had to clutch Ryou’s hand tightly so they wouldn’t become separated. 

After a while Yuugi had to wonder just where did his cousin and lover head off to? He found his answer ten minutes later. A large ice rink had been constructed around a massive Christmas tree for the holiday, and he finally spotted a familiar head of spiky hair. Atem and Seto were on the ice, the taller of the two skating backwards while he held both of the Egyptian’s hands tightly. Seto was laughing as Atem shuffled unsteadily, legs spread wide like a newly birthed foal. Atem was glaring at his boyfriend but his skate shook and he tumbled forward, the CEO quickly grabbing him around the waist. Yuugi watched Seto laugh harder and Atem smacked him on the chest, but then the brunette shifted so he had his arm around his waist tightly, keeping him upright. Together, they skated along the ice, Atem matching Seto’s stride so they both moved in unison. Atem’s pout immediately disappeared and he leaned against the other, one hand resting on Seto’s chest, and the other gripping the back of his jacket tightly. Soon, the rest of the world faded, and they lost themselves in one another. 

Yuugi grinned and leaned against the edge of the ice rink, letting his head rest on Ryou’s shoulder. A few minutes later, Ryou’s arm wrapped around his shoulders, holding him tight and Yuugi closed his eyes with a soft sigh. That was something else Yuugi loved about London. He didn’t feel trapped. While he loved Domino, and he loved his country, being openly out like this was a refreshing change. 

Oh sure, he could be like his cousin and boyfriend; Seto had no trouble telling people who his significant other was and Atem was just as possessive, if not very public with their affection. But they were famous people. They could get away with almost anything they wanted. Although Yuugi had his own fair share of fame in the dueling world, it was more local and he didn’t have the same level of confidence as Atem did. Yet, here, in a place where no one was even giving them a second look, he could let his guard down. 

Yuugi wondered if this is what Atem felt every time he was at Seto’s side, arm confidently around the tall man’s waist as they walked down red carpets and events, head held high and proud. He glanced over at his own white haired beauty and smiled. Yes, it had to be. 

Ryou felt eyes on him and glanced over, smiling back. He raised an eyebrow. “What is it, Yuugi?”

Yuugi just shook his head and said, “I was just thinking that… I really like London. And… how much I love you.”

Ryou felt his cheeks burn a light pink and Yuugi giggled, leaning up to kiss him chastely. Ryou chuckled and hugged Yuugi. “I think all this Christmas cheer is getting to your head.”

“Mmmm, no,” Yuugi snuggled in and sipped his hot cocoa. “I think it’s just time I take a page out of my cousin’s book and just… let us be “us” without regret or fear.”

Ryou blinked slowly and tilted his head a bit. Yuugi bit his lip, eyes downcast. Ryou didn’t like that; he reached up and cupped the other’s cheek gently, violet now staring into chocolate brown eyes. “Then I must say this is the best Christmas I’ve ever had,” he whispered. 

Yuugi’s smile returned and he kissed Ryou again before holding up his drink. “Want a sip?”

“Sure,” Ryou took a small sip of the hot cocoa and made a face, “although I’m sure this is now a marshmallow drink and not chocolate.”

Yuugi laughed and returned to watching his cousin skate alongside his much taller boyfriend. 

Yes. This truly was the best Christmas ever. 

Hot cocoa and marshmallows and all. 


	4. Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 4: Flowers  
> Rating: G
> 
> Summary: Akane works at a normal flower shop but gets a rather big surprise when a new client walks in; why did Seto Kaiba need flowers?
> 
> NOTES: Set in the AU world where Atem is a model/spokesman for Kaiba Corp. and has been in a relationship with Seto Kaiba for over a decade.

* * *

Man was it a hot one today!

Akane gently dabbed at her forehead before picking up a heavy canister of freshly cut sunflowers, setting them in place. It was the beginning of summer in Domino, a couple weeks into June, and the weather was showing no mercy. The sun was bright with no sign of clouds anywhere, and the humidity made it feel hotter than it really was. Akane was working the later shift at the flower shop, and although the air conditioning was on, the store stood on the corner of the busy Main Street of Downtown Domino; their “doors” were actually just gates they pulled down every night so customers and employees could get a full view of the small store. Stalls were dragged out every morning and filled with bouquets and sample plants, and inside people could shop a variety of house plants, specialty bouquets, and accessories to decorate one’s home. Akane liked working here, but sometimes she wished the store had actual doors to trap in the cold air blasting above their heads. 

Once she had the sunflowers arranged to her liking, Akane smiled and bowed at a few regulars that walked by, offering her custom greeting before walking around to the register. It was getting late, around five-thirty by her watch, and the sun was already beginning to set over the mountains that surrounded the city of Domino. She watched tourists walk up and down the streets, some looking at phones and pointing while others enjoyed the shopping district right across the street. This time of year wasn’t really peak flower buying season, but it did afford the young lady some entertainment in people watching. 

Although today didn’t seem to bring a lot of the more interesting people out; just her regulars. There went the haggle of businessmen heading to an izakaya after a long day at work, the old woman who shuffled down the street with her little walker, and the group of high schoolers stopping to get some boba tea and karaage before heading home. All normal people, and Akane sighed and began fiddling with the items around the register. 

Just as she finished restocking the brochures to her right, she glanced up just in time to see a flashy car pull up and park right in front of her shop. Strange. Akane couldn’t remember ever seeing such a nice car around there before. It was definitely one of the expensive ones, maybe a Ferrari, Mercedes or Porsche, and the color was a beautiful, metallic navy blue with a chromatic finish. The evening light caused an array of blues to sparkle along the hood and for a moment, Akane imagined ocean waves crashing against large boulders in the sea. The engine cut off and a tall, young man stepped out from the driver seat, sunglasses on and looking over at the shop with a frown. 

Akane sucked in a small breath. The man was young, maybe in his early twenties, and absolutely gorgeous. His brown hair was stylishly cut about his face and neck, the chestnut color reflecting flex of gold and auburn. His face was long with high cheekbones and a well sculpted nose, and from what she could see, he was broad chested with just enough muscle and long,  _ long  _ legs dressed in designer slacks. He buttoned the black jacket over his red shirt and black vest before strolling into the small shop and Akane gulped. 

“Irrashaimase,” she said cheerfully and bowed. “Do you need help finding anything today?”

The man finally removed his sunglasses and Akane’s eyes widened. It was Seto Kaiba! He narrowed his icy, blue eyes at her before looking around at the flowers. His lip curled a bit and he said, “I need something to give to someone.”

“O-oh,” Akane stuttered a bit, “M-may I ask what the occasion is, Mr. Kaiba?”

“No.”

“Oh, my apologies,” Akane cleared her throat and tried again, “is this for a family member or friend?”

“What does it matter?” Kaiba snapped and Akane straightened a bit, feeling a little more confident. 

“Forgive me, but if they are for someone, I need a little information about them to help you choose the right flower. Flowers can say a lot about a person, you know.”

Seto huffed and crossed his arms, but kept his gaze on hers. “Fine… an associate of sorts. What do you want to know?”

“Well for starters,” Akane began, “Is this someone you’ve known for a while?”

“... yes.”

_ Ahh, good, we’re getting somewhere,  _ Akane thought and continued. “What can you tell me about them?”

“... they’re short,” he said, raising his hand to about mid chest. “Probably like here or something. Bit of a pain in the ass but tolerable. Loud and quite arrogant.”

“Okay…” Akane nodded slowly. “What else can you tell me about their personality?”

Seto huffed and shifted from foot to foot, his gaze now wavering to stare at the wall. “Fire. They are like fire. Incessantly probing into things that don’t concern them… incredibly passionate… invasive… caring… strikingly beautiful in an unconventional way… hot headed… wonderfully unapologetic.” The young man’s demeanor changed and finally, the tension in his face lifted and he actually smiled. “An utter fool…”

Akane watched as Seto Kaiba’s thoughts turned inward, admiring whoever this amazing person was in his life. It was obvious this person was more than just an associate, and had quite an effect on the young billionaire, one that she knew was hard for anyone to do. Yet, this person he described seemed to have gotten underneath Kaiba’s skin and permanently planted themselves deep in his mind. Despite his blazé attitude, Akane could see he cared a great deal for this person. 

She smiled and nodded, cutting into Seto’s thoughts. “I think I know exactly what they would like,” she said, beckoning him over to the stall just outside. “Sunflowers.”

Seto pursed his lip a bit and Akane cut in before he could object, “Sunflowers may not be as extravagant as roses, yes, but they are not a conventional flower. Their huge, dark centers are encased in these beautiful, yellow petals, as if protecting the seeds within. They are huge, proud statements yet extremely delicate and soft to the touch. Plus… sunflowers have a unique talent.”

“Which is?” Seto pressed. 

“Sunflowers always follow the path of the sun,” she said, “most flowers do but they strive for the light and sometimes you can actually see them doing this. But… if there is no sun, if it’s just a little too cloudy, they will turn and face another sunflower, as if appreciating their beauty,” Akane smiled. “If any flower matches the person you just described… I think it’s these.”

“Hnn,” Seto tilted his head a bit in contemplation, looking down at the yellow and brown plants before nodding. “I’ll take all of them,” he said and Akane’s eyes widened. “... I’d like them wrapped with a red bow as well.”

“Yes, Mr. Kaiba,” Akane picked up the heavy canister again and shuffled to the register, their resident florist taking it away to begin the wrapping. 

“Do you take credit card?” Seto asked, pulling out his wallet. 

“Yes, Sir,” Akane nodded and rang him up, swiping his card and handing it back with a small bow. “Takeshi here will have your purchase ready in a few moments, please wait here.”

“Whatever,” Seto muttered and stepped to the side so someone else could purchase a rather… abhorrent flower display, complete with an overstuffed teddy bear and balloon. After ten minutes, Yoshida exited the back with the freshly wrapped bouquet of sunflowers, complete with its bow. 

“Here you are, Sir,” he said pleasantly and bowed deeply. “Thank you for your purchase, Mr. Kaiba, and have a wonderful evening.”

“Hmph,” Seto took the flowers and strode to his car without a second glance, carefully placing the bouquet onto the passenger seat. A second later, his car roared to life and sped out into traffic. 

Akane sighed and smiled dreamily. “Whoever those flowers are for… she’s a lucky girl.”

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Kaiba’s polished Mercedes turned down a street that led to the ritzier side of Domino. Another turn and he found himself at the small apartment complex built right along the Domino River. It was a beautiful neighborhood; an expensive neighborhood, so Seto’s flashy car wouldn’t be too obvious. He pulled into a parking spot and even before he could turn off the engine, he spotted the person he was here for exiting the door. 

Seto swallowed and grabbed the flowers, opening his door and standing with said present behind his back. His date looked stunning. His suit was a deep, smokey gray, form fitted over a pinstripe button down and a red tie tucked neatly in his vest. His hair remained as spiky and untamed as always with its black, red and yellow color, and he had placed a bit of eyeliner around his crimson eyes. His tanned skin positively glowed, adorned with accents of gold from his earrings and bracelets. 

_ God,  _ Seto thought,  _ he truly is a preening peacock and it looks so damn good on him. _

They met halfway and Atem smiled up at his date for the evening, “I’m glad to see that you came,” he said calmly, “I was sure you would have chickened out.”

“Why would I chicken out?” Seto barked and huffed, causing Atem to snicker. “I was the one that made this bet, and you lost, so really I should be saying that to  _ you. _ ”

“True,” Atem shrugged a shoulder, “but it’s not exactly punishment if I wanted this.” His grin widened and he strained his neck a bit. “What are you hiding behind your back?”

Seto’s cheeks actually flushed and he cleared his throat, pulling around the bouquet and holding it out. “Isn’t it customary to bring some sort of gift on a date? Figured I’d get you something as garish and outlandish as you are.”

Atem’s eyes lit up and he grabbed the sunflowers with both hands, “Seto… they’re beautiful,” he said softly, lifting them up to his nose to inhale deeply and run the petals over his cheek. “I love sunflowers. Thank you. Truly… thank you so much.”

“Er… well… they’re just flowers,” Seto muttered and Atem stepped close and jumped onto his tiptoes to kiss his cheek. 

“I absolutely love them,” he said, “No one has ever done something like this for me. Thank you.”

Seto blinked and finally smiled. “You’re welcome.”

* * *

A couple days later, when Akane returned to work, she was greeted by the largest present basket she had ever seen, complete with a note. 

_ They love the flowers. Take this as a show of gratitude.  _

_KS._

Takeshi stared at the gift, dumbfounded, and Akane laughed. 

“What a lucky, lucky girl.”

TBC...


	5. Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 5: Red  
> Rating: PG-13 for mentions of blood 
> 
> Summary: All he could see was red. Red and smoke. What had happened?
> 
> NOTES: Set in AU world where Atem is a model/spokesman for Kaiba Corp. and is in an open relationship with Seto Kaiba. 
> 
> Warnings: There are mentions of blood and mild violence; proceed with caution.

* * *

The sounds of sirens startled Atem awake and he blinked furiously, trying to get his bearings. He felt heavy, like his limbs were made of lead, and his head throbbed in his temples, something constricting around his neck. A few seconds later and it finally made sense. 

His seatbelt had locked and was pulled tight against his neck. That’s right… he had slid down in the seat a bit before things went black. Atem struggled to find the lock release on the buckle but finally hit the button and released the pressure. He took in a deep breath and very slowly, tried to sit up. 

“Wha… what happened?” He said groggily, very carefully shifting to a sitting position. They had just left the restaurant for their fifth anniversary; it had been such a lavish affair too. Seto spared no expense to find the best, even giving him a brand new ankh necklace made of white gold holding both his and Seto’s name in hieroglyphs. Atem had been overjoyed, smiling and holding his boyfriend’s hand in the car, when there was a flash of light, a loud horn, followed by tires screeching and then… 

The most sickening sound of metal scraping and crunching together, a loud shout and then blackness. 

Atem coughed as smoke filtered through the broken windows and front console of the car, the airbags slowly beginning to deflate. He didn’t smell gas, thankfully, but he had to move… he had to get out. Swallowing, Atem turned to the driver’s seat and managed to speak, “S-Seto? Baby?”

Shifting closer, Atem carefully undid his boyfriend’s seatbelt and shook his arm. Seto remained still, head thrown back against his seat. The Egyptian whimpered. “Seto?” He touched his cheek and shuddered. His lover didn’t stir, and barely looked to be breathing. When he removed his hand, it was coated in red. 

“Oh God,” Atem cried and shook his head; his mind cleared and he wished it hadn’t. Whatever had hit them, Seto took the brunt of the assault. His legs were pinned under the wheel, the window completely shattered and shards of metal stuck out like a dangerous trap. The arm closest to the door was most likely broken, and there were bits of glass embedded in his lover’s skin and clothes, and the blood. There was so much blood; on his face, in his hair, down his neck and staining the white shirt he wore. 

“Seto,” Atem called out again, a little louder this time. “Baby, please… please, wake up… wake up!” 

“It’s his time to go.”

Atem gasped and jumped back. Standing outside of the wreckage were three beings, all dressed in dark cloaks and faces obscured by thick hoods. The one in the middle stepped closer. “Release him… he must come with us.”

“No,” Atem shook his head and wrapped his arms around Seto tightly, ignoring the red stains to his own skin and clothing. His eyes were hard, filled with angry tears and he snarled at the figures. “You will not have him. He’s mine. Leave us alone!”

“You have no way to stop this, Little one,” The second figure said as the third gripped the twisted door of the car and yanked it open. “Give him to us.”

“Please, stay back,” Atem cried, trying to keep his grip on Seto but the first hooded figure reached out and began to pull. No matter how hard he tried, his grip couldn’t hold on and Atem cried and screamed, scrambling after his lover. 

“Stop! He’s not yours!  _ PLEASE! _ Seto, wake up! WAKE UP!” He stumbled out of the car and struggled to stand, the other two figures holding him down on his knees. “SETO!”

“Take him away,” the leader hissed and began walking away, disappearing into the thick fog that began to swirl around the crash site. “Goodbye, Atem.”

Atem thrashed and shouted at the figure, cheeks soaked with tears and blood yet he couldn’t dislodge his captors. It was useless… red enveloped his vision and everything began to spin. Seto was gone. 

_ Seto!!!  _

Atem jolted awake with a small shout and sat up in bed, body soaked in a cold sweat. He panted heavily, eyes quickly scanning the area for the hooded figures who dare take away his love! But as the terror began to fade, realization settled in. He wasn’t outside; in fact, he was snug in bed, in their room with Seto’s arm loosely draped over his hips. His lover remained asleep, breathing calm and deep and Atem bit his lip; no red. No blood. 

Seto was alive. 

Shaking his head, Atem rubbed his hands down his face and sighed, shaking the last flashes of his nightmare away. He leaned over and left a gentle kiss on Seto’s temple before slowly getting out of bed to head downstairs. He entered the kitchen and flicked on the lights, sitting roughly at the island and burying his face in his arms. 

This was the fourth nightmare in a week, and Atem knew it’d be another sleepless night. It was silly, of course. Seto had returned from the hospital nearly a month ago and despite some of the deeper wounds, the young billionaire was just fine. He was alive and up in their bed, resting peacefully without care. Yet Atem could still see his lover in the wreckage, blood soaked and barely breathing. They learned later on that someone had lost control of their vehicle on the freeway and had slammed into them, so Atem couldn’t even be upset at the poor man who caused the accident. How could he? 

Atem wanted to be mad at someone for this. The only one he could be mad at was Fate. Fate tried to take Seto from him prematurely, to destroy the one man who gave his life purpose and meaning. 

Fate tried to take away the one man who saved his life and rescued him from a toxic family and social stereotypes. 

Yes. He could be mad at Fate, but even then he knew it was futile. Fate also saved Seto; kept him alive even as his heart stopped in the ambulance. Fate helped bring him back minutes later, and Fate kept Seto’s fighting spirit alive. 

Atem shivered and felt tears stinging his eyes again. God, if Seto had died… 

“...‘tem? What’s wrong?” Atem gasped and looked up, spotting his lover standing in the doorway of the kitchen. Seto squinted tiredly at his boyfriend, and Atem drank it in. He still had a few cuts and bruises healing on his face but almost all of Seto’s injuries were healed and he would get his right arm cast off in a couple weeks. Still… he still had bruising around his eyes and redness along his jaw and hairline and Atem swallowed. 

Atem shook his head and looked down at the polished marble of the island. “Just… couldn’t sleep.” He mumbled. He heard Seto shuffle over and wrap his good arm around him from behind. 

“Nightmare again?” 

“... yes,” Atem nodded and ran his hand gently over the arm across his collarbones. “… every time I close my eyes all I see is you, covered in blood, barely breathing,” his lip trembled and he squeezed Seto’s arm tightly, eyes closing, “I-if you had…”

“But I didn’t,” Seto cut in softly, pressing their temples together, nuzzling in, “I’m alive. Nothing like a car crash is going to take down Seto Kaiba.”

“But it almost did,”. Atem mumbled through his tears. “I can’t get that image out of my head.”

Seto sighed, “I know you are scared, Baby,” he murmured, “and what you experienced and what I experienced were two different things. All I cared about was that you were alright. I can take it.”

“You shouldn’t have to ‘take it’ as you put it,” Atem wiped away his tears and sniffled, glancing up at his tall lover. 

Another sigh and Seto nodded, brushing Atem’s hair away from his face. “I know… sometimes life throws us wrenches to test us. You know what I learned from all this?”

“What?”

“After all the times I wish I had died, this one time, I am so glad to be here, right now… with you,” Seto whispered, “I live on because of you and being able to recover from something like that just makes me appreciate everything we have a thousand times more. Remember, we shape our own fate.”

Atem swallowed an turned to hug Seto tightly, face buried in his chest. He felt strong, confident arms hold on just as strongly and he let out a deep breath. 

His boyfriend was right. No matter what, Fate had no control over Seto Kaiba. Seto Kaiba controlled his fate. 

As they walked back upstairs to their bedroom, Atem felt a little better and mentally nodded to himself. 

Fate could suck it.

TBC...


	6. Shower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 6: Shower  
> Rating: Pg-13/R for minor, mature content (light foreplay)
> 
> Summary: Seto wakes up from a long night out, slightly hungover, and his boyfriend off in the shower. A shower DID sound good... 
> 
> NOTES: Set in AU world where Atem is a model/spokesman for Kaiba Corp. and in a relationship with Seto Kaiba for over a decade. 
> 
> While I could go on a full-filled smut raid with these two, I’m trying to keep it more light hearted but it here is some heavy petting so proceed with caution.

* * *

Seto woke up late in the morning being greeted by a throbbing between his eyes and rather sore muscles in his arms and legs. The young CEO groaned, turning to bury his nose into the pillow to stave off the pestering light filtering through his window. God, when was the last time he’d felt this wrecked, he wondered; then again, at the age of twenty-five, he should be used to drinking benders. Isn’t that how it’s done for people his age? 

Then again, most people his age didn’t own a billion-dollar company or have to oversea hundreds of workers on a daily basis, and only found time to drink during company events or business meetings. He didn’t have much time for normal social gatherings. 

At least he didn’t before meeting his current boyfriend, who was not only a social butterfly, but had quite the tolerance for alcohol. Was it encoded in his DNA? Seto had no clue, all he did remember was meeting up with Atem’s ragtag team of friends for someone’s birthday - was it Anzu? Or was it the pointy haired man? - but soon found himself five shots in, one arm around his boyfriend’s waist as the smaller male ground his hips into him to some obnoxious song blaring on the dance floor. Things were spotty after that; he did remember getting home and stumbling up the stairs with Atem and then… ah yes.

Quite vigorous sex ensued the rest of the night. No wonder his legs and arms hurt; that was a hard position to hold for so long but definitely worth watching his lover become unhinged so deliciously. 

Seto very slowly lifted his head out of its soft cocoon and squinted to his left. The mattress was empty, and the comforter was thrown back, indicating the current occupant had just left. He also noticed that the bedside lamp was now on the floor and looked over at his own table, finding his alarm clock met the same fate. 

Thank god it was Saturday. 

Running his fingers through his hair, Seto pulled himself together enough to push away his own blankets and stand. The throbbing wasn’t as bad, thankfully, so he found his boxers and slipped them on. Next came the task of finding his little lover. It was an easy one; said man had moved to the master bathroom, the door slightly cracked, and Seto could hear water running. A shower did sound like a good idea, he thought. 

As did his body, and Seto felt his lower half stir at the very thought of a naked Atem wet in a shower. He smirked and walked over to the door, making sure it swung open without a sound. Atem liked hot showers, evident by the steam already fogging up with mirror and shower doors. His head was under the heavy spray, the thick locks glistening over his shoulders and back. Seto licked his lips, his eyes roaming from his boyfriend’s blissful face, down his well sculpted chest and arms, heading even further down. 

Jesus, Atem was built like a statue. His muscles were well defined, but not overly engorged, and Seto loved running his hands all over the taut, warm skin. Especially his pert little backside. That was one of his favorite traits; it was just the right size, with a pleasant dip where leg meets hip, and almost damn near symmetrical. Sometimes he found himself laying in bed, his hand idly running up and down Atem’s backside in a comforting manner. And now there it was, slicked with water and soap, and tantalizingly close. 

Looking was no longer cutting it. As quietly as he could, Seto kicked off his boxers and snuck to the shower, opening the door and sliding inside. He was pleased when Atem gave a little jolt and small yelp when he wrapped his arms around his shoulders, leaning down to kiss his shoulder. 

“Well, good to see you’re up and still able to function,” Atem teased once he got over his initial shock. “Was quite impressive the amount of tequila shots you had.”

“And who is the culprit that kept supplying me with said shots?” Seto replied back and Atem snickered, leaning back against his now naked lover. 

“I had to find some way to loosen you up around my friends,” the smaller man said with a small sigh, tilting his head to the side while Seto continued leaving a trail of kisses down his neck and shoulders. “I know they did appreciate you picking up the check at the end of the night.”

“Do I want to know how much we spent?” Seto asked. 

Atem grinned and shook his head. “Nope.”

“Then keep those numbers to yourself,” Seto replied, one hand sliding across Atem’s chest while the other found its prize, cupping a firm buttocks. He purred and went to nibble ono Atem’s ear and the Egyptian shivered and wriggled back. “You woke up in a mood today.”

“You act like me groping you in the morning is new,” Seto snorted. He found a dusky nipple and pinched it between his fingers, rocking his own hips forward. 

Atem hummed and reached behind to grab a fistful of now wet, brown locks, gently tugging. “True… very true… need to get your daily butt rub in?”

Seto smirked and squeezed Atem’s ass, “Kinda hoping to do more with this delectable butt this morning.”

“Ohhh, feisty,” Atem sniggered and wiggled again, gasping when Seto pressed his hardening arousal between his cheeks. “Is this because of last night? I was sure you were enjoying yourself.”

Seto shook his head; the soreness between his legs was a reminder of their escapades and he really did have fun; he liked switching it up every now and then. So he answered truthfully, “Last night felt good… now I want to make you feel good.”

Atem grinned brightly. “Meaning you want to wreck my ass and keep me in bed all day.”

“Bet your sweet ass I do.”

Reaching over to shut off the water, Atem turned and jumped into Seto’s arms, attacking his lips hungrily with a moan. “Then why don’t we get to it, Baby?”

“Don’t mind if I do,” Seto replied with his own matching grin, carrying Atem out of the shower and grabbing a towel on the way back to the master bedroom. 

Thank god it was Saturday, indeed.

TBC...


	7. Scarf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 7: Scarf  
> Rating: G
> 
> Summary: Seto and Atem are in New York for a very special, secret mission and Atem refuses to go outside without his secret weapon; his scarf. 
> 
> NOTES: Set up post-DSOD! Universe with aged up Seto and Atem. 
> 
> This is so far my favorite story I’ve written. For people unfamiliar, St. Jude’s Hospital is an organization that helps kids with cancer and other diseases and do so for free.

* * *

Atem opened the velvet, blue blackout curtains and wrinkled his nose in disgust. 

“I don’t like it already.”

Seto snorted from his position on the bed, bent over so he could put on his socks. “It’s just snow, Atem. You’ve seen it multiple times since your return to the real world.”

“Doesn’t mean it’s going to change my mind on the matter,” the ex-pharaoh grimaced and walked away from the snow falling in big, floofy flakes, covering everything in white. True. This was his fourth year of seeing snow in the flesh, and his second of being in New York when it happened, but he still hated every minute of it. Snow meant cold, and cold meant shivering for hours on end and being teased relentlessly by his tall tree of a lover. Didn’t Seto understand?! He was Egyptian! They rarely got snow! The Netherworld never had snow, and when he shared a body with Yuugi he only came out when they were inside or in spirit form; perhaps he could convince his Gods to let him go back to the afterlife for just a few months until it warmed up. 

Then again, he would have to deal with a persistent and stubborn CEO boyfriend coming to drag his ass back again.

Shaking his head, Atem wrapped his oversized sweater tighter around his body and crawled onto the bed behind Seto, draping himself across his lover’s back like a throw blanket. Seto made a noise and fell forward a bit, not ready for the move. “What are you doing now, weirdo?”

“Absorbing your body heat like a lizard on a hot rock,” Atem mumbled and buried his cold nose in Seto’s neck, glad he forwent his usual turtleneck for a deep, evergreen v-neck sweater. Seto, on the other hand, began to second guess that choice and yelped from the sudden, frozen bump. 

“Jesus, Atem! Just use a heated blanket instead!” He cried, trying to stand to evade his clinging lover; no good. Atem immediately latched onto his back and wrapped his arms and legs around Seto from behind. 

“But you’re always so warm!” Atem whined, squeezing Seto’s middle with his legs, the flannel causing him to slip a bit, “ _ must  _ we go out today?”

Seto rolled his eyes and jumped in an attempt to dislodge his clinging boyfriend; no luck, Atem just squeezed tighter and he choked a bit. “I thought you would be happy to do this.”

Atem pouted. “It’s not that,” he said. A couple months ago, a doctor had contacted Seto from St. Jude’s Hospital, asking if he could possibly send a letter to a young teen boy named Caleb, whose Christmas wish was to hear from the man who helped get him through his cancer treatments with Duel Monsters. When Seto finished reading the handwritten letter, he went online to get information on what exactly St. Jude’s Hospital was and decided a letter wasn’t enough, and Atem agreed with him.

A few phone calls later, Seto went about rearranging his schedule and in December, he and Atem boarded his private jet to fly them to New York. Now, he was wondering if perhaps, he should have left Atem back home as New York was much colder than Domino, and he was sure his lover was part reptilian. 

As if sensing his lover was waiting for him to continue his answer, Atem sighed and finally jumped down, keeping his arms wrapped around Seto. He finally said, “I just hate the cold.”

Seto chuckled and turned around to place a kiss on Atem’s forehead. “I know, Baby, and you know we are heading to the Bahamas for Christmas so I’ll have you warmed up in no time. But first,” he gently urged Atem to the closet and tapped his backside. “Go get dressed or we’ll be late.”

Atem rolled his eyes but acquiesced to his lover’s demand. Ten minutes later he walked out into the living area of the hotel and Seto grinned. No matter how cold he was, if they were going out in public, the ex-spirit always made sure he looked immaculate. He’d gone for a pair of black, fashion high-waisted black slacks tied at the top and a just big enough button down with a wide collar and a knee length, black cardigan. He was a stark contrast to Seto’s sweater and form fitted, black jeans. 

“That shirt is a little thin, don’t you think?” Seto teased and stood, grabbing something off the table. 

“It’s the price you pay to look this good,” Atem said with a mock sigh, standing in front of a mirror to fix his hair and collar. Seto came up behind him and he grinned at his reflection. “Or are you jealous others will look?”

“They’re always looking,” Seto replied with a small snort and Atem snickered. “But… hopefully this will add a little more flair to your ensemble.” Reaching around, he draped a long, burgundy wool scarf across Atem’s shoulders. “It will at least keep you warm enough.”

The other smiled. “You think I would go anywhere in the winter without my favorite scarf?” Atem swooned and grabbed the ends to bury his nose into the soft and warm material. “Mmmm so warm.”

“Thought that would help,” Seto chuckled and helped Atem wrap the yards of fabric around his neck until he was snug and concealed from the cold, obscuring most of his lower face and nose; adorable wasn’t a word he associated with the ex-pharaoh often, but at this moment, it was the only word that fit. “Come on, the car is waiting downstairs.”

They grabbed their shoes - Seto a pair of fashion boots and Atem his own with a bit of a heel - their fur lined coats and gloves, and took the elevator down. 

* * *

Atem smiled proudly as his boyfriend stood next to a star struck Caleb, his grin so big his eyes sparkled. Seto had one hand on his shoulder while the boy’s mother took a photo with her phone, her own eyes filled with tears of happiness. Once the picture was taken, Caleb turned and started talking adamantly with the CEO, thanking him for all of the gifts and just being here. Seto modded and smiled as the teen showed him all his cards and memorabilia, listening intently to everything he said. 

Despite what the media thought, Seto handled being around children really well. It was possibly the only time when his softer side was shown in public and Atem knew it stemmed from his upbringing of Mokuba and from his job. Seto actually loved kids, donated millions to orphanages every year, and made secret trips like this quite often if he could. No cameras or publicity. When Atem found out about it, his heart swelled and it made his love for the other grow ten times more. 

Deciding to let the little family have some alone time with his boyfriend, Atem stepped out of the room to check his phone. A few minutes later, his scarf tugged against his neck and downwards, and he blinked, looking to his left. A little girl with the biggest green eyes he’d ever seen, was smiling and giggling up at him, his burgundy scarf clutched tightly in her little fists. She wore a little cap on top of her head and Atem noticed that only little wisps of strawberry blonde poked out. 

Atem smiled and bent down. “Hello, what is your name?” He asked, hoping the little girl could understand him. His English was nowhere near as good as Seto’s but he knew enough to get by. 

“You have funny hair,” the girl giggled and tugged again. Atem chuckled and nodded. 

“I do,” he said and knelt down so they were eye to eye. “Want to touch it?”

She gasped and bounced, “Can I?!”

“Only if you tell me your name,” Atem reasoned and the girl nodded her head vigorously. 

“Cara! I’m Cara!” She squealed when Atem lowered his head and reached up with her hand, petting his hair. She giggled again, one hand still in his scarf. “Is fluffy… I like fluffy.”

“Me too,” Atem replied and looked up when a woman gasped and rushed over. 

“Cara! There you are!” The stoutly lady exclaimed and picked her up. “You can’t wander off like that, Sweetie! What if something happens?”

“Sorry, Momma,” Cara pouted, bringing Atem’s scarf up to hide her mouth and nose shyly. 

Cara’s mother sighed and shook her head, addressing Atem directly. “I am so sorry, Sir. She doesn’t mean any harm.”

“Please, it’s okay,” Atem replied and stood, waving his hand back and forth. “No harm… she’s very sweet. How old is she?”

The woman smiled and bounced Cara on her hip. “She just turned five, didn’t you, Cara?”

“Yep!”

Atem grinned, watching the little girl continue rubbing her cheek against his scarf. He then looked to her mother. “May I ask… why is she here?”

Cara’s mother’s face slipped a bit, and she sighed, “Brain tumor,” she whispered but then spoke a little louder, voice cheerful, “Cara has a little bug in her brain but we’re kicking its butt, aren’t we?”

“Bugs hate heat!” Cara said, matter-of-factory. “We kill the bug with rad… rad’ation.”

“Yes...” her mother held in a soft sob and kissed her forehead. “With radiation heat…”

Atem bit his lip and studied the little girl resting her head against her mother’s shoulder. Five years old… this little ray of sunshine was fighting cancer at five years old yet… she still smiled. Biting his lip, Atem slowly unwound his scarf and Cara watched him with her big eyes. 

“Warm kills the bug, you say?” Atem said and held up the winter article of clothing. “Well,  _ this here  _ is the warmest scarf ever! If anything can kill that bug, it’s this.”

Cara gasped and bolted straight in her mother’s hold, looking at the older woman excitedly. “Really?! Momma, can I have it?!”

She stammered for words, “I-I mean, really it’s a kind gesture, Sir but…”

“Please,” Atem insisted, holding it out with a kind smile. “It’s okay. She seems to really like it and if it’ll help…”

“Momma,  _ pleaaaaaase!? _ ” Cara bounced and hugged her tight around the neck. 

The mother stammered a bit but finally nodded, her smile back on her face. Atem carefully wound it around Cara’s neck and she laughed and squealed happily, burrowing into the scarf like a content little squirrel. 

“Momma, is so warm!” She said. 

“And what do we say to the nice man?”

“Thank you, Mister!” Cara exclaimed and Atem nearly melted. 

“You are very welcome, Cara,” he said, waving goodbye to the little girl as her mother walked away back to their room. When he turned around, he jumped with a gasp, hand to his chest. Seto stood at the door, leaning against the frame with a small smirk on his face. “Seto… you scared me.”

“I see your English has gotten better,” his boyfriend said, strolling into the hallway and handing Atem his coat. He was still smirking. “Where’s your scarf?” He asked knowingly. 

“Er…” Atem coughed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Well… it’s being used to fight a brain bug,” he replied and blinked when Seto leaned down and kissed him chastely. 

“I hope it helps then,” Seto replied softly and then laughed when Atem sealed their lips together again. “But does this mean we’re making another stop at Gucci for a new scarf?”

Atem nodded and pulled on his coat. Walking down the hallway together, he wrapped his arm around Seto’s waist and said, “Yes. I need my own heat weapon against the cold bug.” 


	8. Throne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 8: Throne  
> Rating: PG-13 for slight sexual content
> 
> Summary: Seth has lost the Pharaoh... again... and just needs a small break. 
> 
> NOTES: Takes place in the Egyptian world of YGO. Using Seth/Atem names 
> 
> I have a horrible obsession with Seth calling Atem Darling as a headcannon... don’t ask why it just makes me all fuzzy inside.

Seth marched down the stone hallway, the hem of his long tunic fluttering about his sandaled feet as he turned a corner that led deeper into the palace. He was muttering to himself, clutching some scrolls tightly in his hand. Servants and guards immediately jumped out of the way and bowed, the priest giving them only a small nod of acknowledgement before continuing on his way. They knew not to get in his way; not when he moved like a gazelle trying to escape a crocodile. 

It either meant someone was in trouble… or he had lost the pharaoh again. 

“I swear he is more the son of Apep than Amun,” the high priest muttered to himself, taking the steps two at a time and taking a shortcut through the man-made oasis. Birds took flight, startled by the sudden intrusion, and another servant fell to his knees from where he was attending some plants. He ignored it all and focused on his mission, throwing aside one of the intricately designed hanging tapestries and stomped into the great hall. 

Seto scanned the empty room and narrowed his eyes, calling out loudly. “My Pharaoh? Your Majesty!” He was met with only the sound of his echo and he growled, rubbing his face tiredly. 

“Damn him,” he grumbled and yanked off his ceremonial hat, walking toward the large Dias in the center of the room. He chucked his hat somewhere near the stairs and ascended the steps, turning around and flopping very unceremoniously upon the great throne. The scrolls scattered at his feet and he kicked them away and glared at the papyrus as they rolled down the stone steps. The High Priest slouched against one of the arms and rested his elbow against the firm limestone, forehead resting in his hand. “I am getting a bell for his infuriating and beautiful neck.”

“Who are you getting a bell for?”

The all too familiar voice hit his ears, and Seth didn’t budge from his lackadaisical stature; in fact, he huffed and closed his eyes, saying, “For the little minx of a cat who likes to wander off.”

He heard a small chuckle and then the patter of feet walking closer to the throne and he finally turned his attention to the other person in the room. Atem stood a few yards away, sans his royal garb, and dressed in a simple kilt, belt, and some golden jewelry. His eyes were narrowed with mirth and he had one hand on a hip, the other carrying a small bouquet of daisies. He looked completely relaxed and calm for finding someone sitting in his royal chair. 

Seth shook his head and let his hand drop, settling even further into the throne. “You have missed three meetings and a wig fitting today,” he said, “Where have you been lurking?”

Atem shrugged and ran his fingers over some of the daisy petals, sauntering towards the high priest. “The meetings I knew you could handle as they dealt with money matters,” he replied smoothly, giving Seth a long look over. Said priest was draped across the chair in the most tantalizing manner, long legs splayed out in front of him and causing the yards of material in his tunic to flare out like a water cascade, one edge catching the empty armrest. His brown locks were jostled about his neck and face when he removed his hat, and the kohl around his blue eyes were slightly smeared from being touched. By the Gods, he loved seeing the taller Egyptian look so disheveled. Made him irresistible. 

It also made it hard to be upset with him when he sat in his sacred chair in such a disrespectful manner. 

Seth’s voice cut into his thoughts when he spoke again, “Finances are still important for the pharaoh to know,” he said, “and you can’t keep running away when they want to try and make you a wig for your birthday celebration.”

“You know the wig will fit never unless I allow them to shave my head,” Atem replied smoothly, finally reaching the top of the steps and standing in front of Seth. He tilted his head before gently smacking the priest’s leg with his flower bundle; Seth immediately adjusted so he sat sideways on the throne with his left leg draped over the armrest. Atem nodded and then plopped himself down in Seth’s lap, arms around the priest’s neck and leaning in so they were nose to nose. Comfortable, he finished his reasoning, “It is a known fact that if anyone comes near my head with shears they will be sent to the Shadow Realm so why even bother?”

“Because it is your duty as Pharaoh,” Seth replied and looped his arm around Atem’s middle, trying to look upset but found it difficult when his tiny lover curled up with him like this. The stress in his shoulders loosened and he let out a resigned sigh, bumping their noses together. “... you went outside the walls of the palace,” he murmured. “You only do that when something is on your mind… what is it, Darling?”

Atem frowned and played with Seth’s hair. His lover could read him too well and he shrugged, eyes focused on the priest’s elaborate necklace. “To be truthful, I do not know. Something has been scratching at the back of my mind and causes me unrest. I fear something is coming.”

“Have you spoken to the oracle?” Seth asked, brow furrowed in concern. “Perhaps they could interpret it for you…”

“So far it is only a feeling,” Atem said, shaking his head. “No dream premonitions or visions… more of an instinct, in my gut… I just needed to clear my head.”

“Well… next time you need to ‘clear your mind’ please inform your advisors,” Seth said softly, bumping their foreheads together in admonishment; Atem chuckled and squeezed his arms. Even if Seth used it as a form of punishment, he secretly loved their little head bumps. 

“But it always amuses me hearing stories of my High Priest prowling through the palace halls shouting for me,” the pharaoh taunted and laughed when Seth began tickling his sides. 

Seth growled playfully and nipped at his lover’s jaw as he continued his assault. When he relented, Atem collapsed against his chest and the smaller male hummed. 

“You know… Shimon will probably be upset seeing us like this again,” Atem commented idly, “deeming this to be quite unfit for a pharaoh and priest to be laying on the throne.”

Seth snorted. “Anything other than a royal bottom on the throne would be unfit,” he said and then smirked. “I say we prepare our prayers of forgiveness and do something very unfit on this throne.”

Atem snickered and shifted them about so he could straddle Seth’s hips and pressed their chests together. “Oh you wicked man you,” he purred, kissing him hard. Pulling back, he said, “You’re explaining to Shimon if we get caught again.”

“Whatever you wish, my Darling,” Seth whispered and captured the pharaoh’s lips again. Atem moaned and tangled both hands into Seth’s hair and felt both arms slide around his hips. 

The daisies and Atem’s worries fell away to litter the floor around the throne, the two lovers shutting out the rest of the world if only for a moment. 


	9. Carry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 9: Carry  
> Rating: G
> 
> Summary: Mokuba challenges Atem to a duel and Seto is late returning home, and Atem gets sleepy
> 
> NOTES: set post DSOD! Timeline with a little Mokuba and Atem interaction

* * *

“Ha! I got you this time, Atem! No one can beat me in this game!”

“I think you are forgetting _ who  _ you’re playing with! I am the King of Games!”

Mokuba huffed and smashed the keys on his switch controller, making his Link character jump high into the air and subjected Atem’s character to a barrage of sword attacks. They were in quite a battle tonight. Super Smash Brawl Ultimate was no joke in the Kaiba household, especially to the youngest brother. He had perfected all his moves, unlocked all the characters, and always ranked in the top ten when he played online with other players. His champion was Link, and victory was assured every time, sending other players to their deaths with a triumphant shout. 

At least he did when he wasn’t playing against the freaking master of any and all games! It took quite a few years for Mokuba to introduce the ex-pharaoh to his beloved Smash Brothers; he could even defeat Seto in this game so it was his little area of success. So the thought of actually losing caused a bit of anxiety on his part, but he loved playing games with Atem. 

Atem challenged him to be better, introduced new tactics and ways of thinking about strategy, and above all, made them fun. He was competitive, of course, but the former pharaoh was no trash talker or manipulator. He played because he enjoyed games, and his passion and enthusiasm was contagious. So he was positive Atem would do nothing to ruin his love for the game. 

So here they sat in the large gaming room, perched atop two massive bean bag chairs and fighting for their lives! Mokuba gave a quick tutorial at the beginning and thought that maybe he should go easy on Atem but when he saw the spark in those crimson eyes, he knew that he would be shown no mercy; even if Atem had never played this game, he never backed down from a challenge. He caught on terrifyingly quickly, and for once, Mokuba actually had to concentrate on his moves. They were three hours in now, and Atem won every match which only made the young Kaiba brother work harder.

Mokube stuck his tongue out and focused all his attention on the massive TV hanging on the wall. Link was currently down in his damage percentage but only by a little and Atem’s Pikachu kept jumping from one side of the field to the other, zapping his ass with a loud “PIKAAAA!” And throwing his own character back. They were both down four lives and this last round would determine the winner. 

Atem’s fingers whizzed around his own controller and he sat back in his beanbag, looking way more relaxed than his younger counterpart. He grinned as Pikachu jumped and landed a powerful tail whip on his opponent and threw him off the platform. 

“I got you,” he said and turned his character around to land a final blow to Link; Mokuba smashed his button and Link suddenly jumped high into the air with a sword spin, taking the rodent with him. One final smack and Pikachu went soaring off the edge of the map, followed by a shriek and explosion. 

The game flashed “GAME” and Mokuba jumped up with a triumphant cry and dance. 

“I DID IT! I BEAT ATEM!!” Mokuba shouted and grinned and Atem laughed, setting his controller down so he could clap. 

“That was a real sneaky move there,” the Egyptian said sincerely. “I’ll have to remember that next time we play.”

“That… was so much fun,” Mokuba said when he finally calmed down. He flopped down on his bean and stretched. “I can’t remember the last time I had matches like this. Can we play again?”

“Of course we can,” Atem replied, pressing the home button on his controller to take them to the main menu. “But doesn’t Seto give you a challenge?”

“He does,” Mokuba nodded and set his controller down on the coffee table in front of them. “But sometimes I think he throws the game because… well, I’m the little brother. You, on the other hand, go hard and it really makes a challenge for me.” Atem snickered and Mokuba yawned. “Speaking of Seto,” he frowned and looked up at the wall clock. It was nearly nine at night. “He’s running incredibly late… I got home well before six…”

Atem frowned and lifted the hem of his tanned sweater sleeve up to look down at his watch. Indeed, it was rather late… he then reached over for his phone and noticed he had a message from said man. 

_ Have an issue with someone trying to hack our database; must stay late let Mokuba know I’m sorry don’t wait up. _

_ <3 _

Atem sighed and showed Mokuba the text message. Mokuba snorted and stomped his foot against the carpet. “Why doesn’t he tell me these things?! I mean, I AM the Vice President and am going to college with computers! I could have helped!”

“You know how your brother is,” Atem replied and sighed, slouching in his chair, “always likes to place the burden on himself so others aren’t inconvenienced. I give you full permission to kick his butt when you go to work tomorrow morning.”

Mokuba laughed and nodded, standing with a stretch. “You got it, Atem! Listen, I’m gonna get ready for bed. Are you gonna wait up even though he told you not to?”

“You know me all too well,” Atem chuckled and nodded. The youngest just laughed and waved goodnight, leaving the former pharaoh alone. Atem sighed and stretched before standing and walking over to the large entertainment system. He unhooked the sides of his switch controller from the base, picked up the console from its charging station and replaced the edge pieces so he could play handheld. He then dimmed the lights to a soft, warm orange glow and curled up on the bean bag chair again, opening up his file of Animal Crossing.

He needed to check on his villagers today and hopefully Anzu sent him the new recipe he still needed. 

* * *

The mansion was quiet when Seto snuck through the front door a little after eleven, closing and locking it gently before removing his thick winter trench coat and placing it on the rack. His loafer returned to their spot in the shoe locker, and he loosened his tie. It was mostly dark save for a few lights to help him see and not run into anything so he knew his family was asleep. 

Or should be asleep. There was a small sliver of orange light emanating from beneath the gaming room doors; no one was ever in there this late on a weekday as they all had to work early the next morning. Head tilted, Seto walked over and opened the sliding doors and blinked at the sight. 

Despite his best efforts, Atem couldn’t stay awake. He lay curled up on the bean bag chair, his Nintendo Switch resting precariously in his hands, and Seto smirked. His little lover was swimming in one of Seto’s sweaters; the thick, cashmere material nearly hung to mid thigh, and the sleeves were constantly covering his hands, yet the Egyptian claimed it was the warmest piece of clothing the other man owned. Which meant that Seto barely wore it but he didn’t mind. It suited Atem rather well and when matched with a pair of tight jeans - which he currently had - and black, heeled boots, he was quite irresistible. 

Still, Seto felt a little bad that he couldn’t have come home earlier and played some games with his family. Perhaps he could find a way to make it up to both him and Mokuba. Crouching down, Seto brushed his fingers across Atem’s cheek and pushed his hair up and behind his ear. The ex-spirit whined and squirmed, curling up into a tighter ball and then stilling. 

Seto chuckled. Unlike himself, Atem always had a hard time falling asleep, yet when he did, he conked out. Nothing or no one could wake him up and normally it took Seto physically shaking him to get him to open his eyes. He had five alarms set on his phone when his boyfriend couldn’t be home to wake him up. The CEO didn’t feel guilty when he grabbed the Switch and returned it to its charger, turned off the light, and then reached down to pick up Atem and toss him over his shoulder. 

Atem whined again and tried to bury his nose into Seto’s back, mumbling something into his shirt. Seto chuckled and carried his dead weight lover up the stairs to the second floor and down the hall to the master bedroom. He flicked the lights on low and walked to their shared bed and placed Atem down on his side, his long limbs splayed out in front of him. He stripped the ex-spirit of his jeans, leaving him in the sweater as Atem always complained of being cold. 

Seto disappeared into the bathroom for a few minutes and emerged dressed in a pair of sweatpants and yawned. It really had been a long day and sleep did sound good. After making sure the alarm was set, he slid in behind Atem and pulled the other close, arm snug around his waist and his nose buried in his neck. 

Atem sighed and wriggled back, a small smile settling on his face and Seto smiled, kissing the skin underneath his lips and then closed his eyes. 

Seto knew Atem and Mokuba would berate him for working so late but for now, he could enjoy some nice cuddles and quietness as he was lulled to sleep by Atem’s gentle breathing. 


	10. TV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 10: TV  
> Rating: PG-13 for language
> 
> Summary: Seto was not a fan of TV but perhaps Atem could persuade him to actually enjoy himself. 
> 
> NOTES: AU world where Atem is a model/spokesman for Kaiba Corp. and in a relationship with Seto Kaiba for over a decade. Mentions of The Witcher but contains no spoilers.

* * *

It probably came as no surprise that Seto Kaiba was not one for TV. He didn’t understand how people could sit dormant on a couch, or in bed, for hours on end while doing nothing. The very thought of being immobile made the CEO’s brain itch. Whenever Mokuba or Atem wanted to sit down and watch a movie, it became a task not to start fidgeting, or to look at his laptop. Idleness didn’t sit well with him at all; he needed to be doing  _ something _ with his hands or brain. 

It was inevitable that Seto’s need to move would win out and Mokuba would complain about his brother’s twitching foot or constant moving that was distracting from the movie or show he put on. The only time he would actually stop and watch a television is to catch up on the news or see a segment Atem recorded for some national broadcast or appearance. At least he then had something that interested him on the screen. 

Yet, despite his aversion to TV, Seto did try. It was a form of family night. They would order in something from one of their favorite restaurants, someone else would pick a movie, and then afterward they would play a board game to help burn off Seto’s built up tension. Mokuba would then claim fatigue and that left the CEO and Atem together in the living room that led to his favorite pastime. 

Sex with his beautiful and irresistible boyfriend. 

Seto was hoping he’d get more of the latter tonight as Mokuba would not be joining them; he was actually spending the night with his girlfriend - dear god was Mokuba really twenty-one now?! - so that meant it would just be him in Atem. He hoped that he could perhaps persuade his supermodel boyfriend not to watch a movie tonight but as he walked into the kitchen, Atem was pulling their dinner out of the delivery bag, next to two bottles of wine, and the unmistakable packaging of microwave popcorn. 

“I was hoping maybe we could try something new tonight,” Seto said with just a hint of whine, hugging Atem from behind. Atem grinned and shook his head. 

“This is what we do,” he said, uncapping the container holding Seto’s favorite pad Thai with tofu and medium heat. “And I thought we could try and watch a new series.”

“I’d rather watch a movie,” Seto muttered, resting his chin on the top of Atem’s head. “Series means too much sitting around.”

“How about a small compromise which might help with your need to move,” the Egyptian said and found his own container of egg noodles with chicken and then grabbed the crab rangoon. “It’s not something we normally do, but let’s watch one episode while we eat dinner. That way, your hands will be preoccupied. If you don’t like it, then we’ll do something else.”

Seto sighed, reached around and swiped a rangoon and took a bite, ignoring Atem’s cry of protest. “Fine… what’s the series?”

“The Witcher,” Atem replied and Seto raised an eyebrow. 

“The Witcher?”

“Yes, and I think it will at least keep some of your attention,” Atem replied and walked over to the cupboard, jumped on his toes to grab two wine glasses, and placed them by their food. “For one, it’s based on one of your favorite video games  _ and  _ novels. And, it has Henry Cavill in it,” he smirked and winked. “I know how much you enjoy him.”

Seto’s cheeks flushed pink and he pinched Atem’s side, causing him to laugh. Yeah, okay, so he thought Henry Cavill was a rather attractive man, so what? So he liked to watch interviews with the actor and listen to him talk about his love for games, doesn’t everyone have that celebrity crush they enjoy? Then again, he had always tried to keep this little infatuation a secret but as always, Atem found out about his shame and constantly teased him about it. 

But the cat was out of the bag now and Seto huffed. “Fine,” he said and grabbed the food containers while Atem took the wine and glasses. “I still don’t think it’ll matter but I’ll agree to your terms. If it doesn’t hold my attention… then we can have fun another way.”

Atem threw his head back and laughed. “If it doesn’t work out then I will ride your dick nice and slow all night, how about that?”

Seto smirked. “Get ready for a ride then,” he said. 

Seto sat at the low table in the entertainment room next to Atem with their dinner, and his boyfriend signed into the Netflix account to start the first episode. The opening credits began to roll and he started in on his dinner; this wasn’t actually a bad set up. At least his hands were busy  _ doing  _ something, even if it was just eating. The episode went on and when their food was gone, they leaned back against the couch to finish the last few minutes. 

Atem looked to his right and sipped his wine. “So… Do you think this is worthy of another episode?” He asked. Seto squirmed. He had to admit, the first viewing had been interesting. It was different from the games but closer to the books, which he liked, and Cavill made a very striking Geralt…. he supposed one more episode couldn’t hurt. 

Made up, Seto nodded. “Fine, but let’s move to the couch. My back already hurts from sitting like this.”

Grinning, Atem nodded and stood, throwing away the remains of their dinner while Seto refilled their wine glasses and found their favorite throw. Five minutes later, they curled up on the couch, Atem nestled snug against the brunette’s chest with the throw covering them both. Seto grabbed the remote, and hit resume. 

* * *

Seto had no idea what time it was. All he knew was that he and Atem went through both bottles of wine, one bag of popcorn, and were now watching the end credits from the last episode of The Witcher. The CEO frowned and grabbed the remote resting at their side and clicked the menu, brow furrowed. “Wait… that’s it? That’s the end of the series?”

Atem stretched and yawned, turning to bury his nose into Seto’s neck. “Mmmhmm… at least for now.”

“What do you mean, ‘for now’?!” Seto squawked, staring at the TV with disbelief. “They can’t just  _ end  _ a series like that! There are too many unanswered questions! What… what the hell?!”

Atem chuckled and left a placating kiss on his boyfriend’s neck. “That’s what series do, Baby. It’s how they keep people interested in the show.”

“That’s so stupid,” Seto huffed and slouched, head tilted slightly. “So… what, a new series comes out like every month or something?”

Atem shook his head, “No. It usually takes longer than that?”

“How long?”

“Well, if I remember correctly, they said the second season of The Witcher won’t be out until next spring.” Atem nearly fell to the floor when Seto flailed and shouted. 

“Next spring?!” He gawked. “That… that’s nearly a year and a half from now?! What am I supposed to do until then?!”

“I don’t know… watch a different series?” Atem tried to offer and received a throw pillow to the face. “... ow.”

“That’s not funny, ‘tem,” Seto groused and the other sighed dramatically. 

“Then I guess there is something  _ else  _ you can do,” Atem said, sitting up and pushing Seto back against the couch so he could straddle his hips. “Although you did sit through the whole series without one complaint… How about I still ride your dick nice and slow until morning as a prize?”

Seto’s laments over the TV show instantly vanished and he grinned, his large hands moving up to grasp Atem’s hips tightly. 

“I think I can agree to that.”

To hell with Henry Cavill, no one was sexier than his boyfriend. 


	11. Stockings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 11: Stockings  
> Rating: G
> 
> Summary: Atem has a bit of an obsession and after a new package arrives at the mansion, Seto is at his breaking point. 
> 
> NOTES: Posts DSOD! And aged up characters. And there actually is a website you can go to and have socks sent to your house once a month. A friend of mine had this and her love of stockings kinda inspired this story. 
> 
> And forgive me, this was a rather rushed edit as i have been super busy today so please excuse any grammar mistakes. Thank you! And a HUGE thank you to everyone who has been reading, like, and commenting on this series. I have had such a blast writing these and it is really helping me get through writers block.

“Thanks for the lift, Tanaka,” Mokuba jumped off the back of his friend’s bike, the young lad never slowing. The black haired teen hit the ground and used the momentum to run through the mansion gates, waving goodbye. Tanaka gave a two finger salute and took off down the street, veering around a corner and disappearing. 

Mokuba grinned and ran the last free yards up to the front door and stopped, spotting a package set aside. He picked it up and opened the large, white door and slammed it shut, tossing his backpack near the shoe rack. 

“Tadaima!” He shouted to the other occupants in the home, getting a loud response to his right. 

“In the kitchen, Mokuba!”

Said teen entered to find his big brother standing at the kitchen counter, knife in his hand as he chopped mushrooms, green onions, carrots, napa cabbage, and what looked to be kimchi; a large ceramic pot resting on the stove with some tofu frying in a pan which Atem was currently flipping over with the cooking chopsticks. 

“Yes, kimchi nabe for dinner!” Mokuba cheered. “Please tell me you bought extra pork belly.”

“You think I would forget that?” Seto motioned to the pot, “it’s already in there with the onions you insist I add. Atem is/keeping an eye on it.”

“Sweet,” Mokuba nodded and walked over to the fridge, and pulled out a bottle of green tea. “By the way, a package was delivered today.”

“Who was it addressed to?” Seto asked, handing off the newly cut ingredients to his boyfriend to add to the donabe pot before they would add the rest of the ingredients. Mokuba shrugged and uncapped his drink. 

“I don’t know, I didn’t check,” he said and then looked at the box again. “It says it’s from… Striking Stockings Inc.?”

Seto audibly groaned, Atem laughed, and Mokube cocked an eyebrow. 

“What’s so funny?”

“I thought you said you cancelled your subscription to them?” Seto complained to the man standing at the stove and Atem snickered. 

“Well I was going to but they offered me a better deal,  _ and  _ two pairs a month instead of one,” Atem replied and added the tofu to the pot after adding the wet ingredients. He secured the lid and quickly dodged out of the way when a carrot top whirled by his head. 

“This is getting out of hand, ‘Tem!” Seto exclaimed and ran around the counter to grab the package before his lover could; he was a second too late and Atem swiped the package off the table so he swiped the Egyptian around the waist. Atem squealed and struggled. 

“Let me open it, Seto!” He cried, “you’ll like these ones I guarantee it!”

Mokuba watched the couple with a confused look until his eye caught a flash of Atem’s feet, and then it all made sense. 

You see, Atem had a little problem. By little, that meant a huge obsession. No one understood why. No one knows where it came from. But it was there, and was staring up at Mokuba in all their garish and silly glory. 

Atem loved socks. More specifically, strange and fun socks. He had to buy a whole new storage unit just to store them. Normal socks? Don’t ever ask him to wear a pair of plain, black, white or blue stockings. He will only turn up his nose with a huff and wave them off as if they were garbage and choose a brightly tie-dyed, rainbow pair. Or ones covered in squirrels or other woodland creatures. Or perhaps he will go for chickens with eggs, or holiday themed; if they were knee high socks then that was the ultimate combination. 

Even now, as Atem flailed in Seto’s arms, Mokuba spotted the kuriboh covered stockings, the little fur balls dyed the colors of the rainbow with the words “Taste my colored balls” emblazoned on the bottoms - those had to be a custom make. The younger Kaiba was sure he had bought every pair the site had but it appeared they didn't want to lose their most valued customer.

“Oookay,” Mokuba shook his head and walked out of the room. “Well have fun with that, Nii-Sama. Let me know when dinner is ready!”

“Give me the box, Atem,” Seto struggled holding onto his squirming boyfriend, attempting and failing to relieve him of the package. “You’re going to send them back and not add to your problem.”

“It’s not a problem,” Atem shot back, sniggering and finally wiggling around enough to escape Seto’s grasp. He ran around to the other side of the kitchen island and held the box to his chest protectively. “And like I said, you’ll like these ones. I bought them for you.”

“Me?” Seto snorted. “You honestly think I’m going to wear a pair of your silly socks? I’m not insane!”

“These ones you will,” Atem urged, grabbing a knife from the drawer and setting the cardboard box down on the island. “I had them special ordered just for you.”

“Here’s what’s going to happen,” Seto said with a sigh, watching Atem slide the knife through the tape and open the lid. “You’re going to pull them out of the box, I’m going to hate the very thought of putting them on, and you’re going to send them back and… are you serious?”

Atem grinned brightly as he held up his stocking purchase for his boyfriend to see. He didn’t miss the little glint of excitement or the way Seto tried to stop the sides of his lips from pulling upwards.

Seto cleared his throat and crossed his arms, and Atem shook them back and forth. “Of course I’m serious… sooo… what do you think?”

“... You never mentioned they custom make socks,” Seto replied and looked away; Atem saw that his boyfriend was now side-eyeing the knee length fabric, finger tapping against his upper bicep. He then pulled out another pair.

“I bought this pair for me,” Atem said. “And I did take down my subscription from one month to every three months. You were right; we are running out of room for them.”

“ _ You _ are running out of room,” Seto corrected and Atem put the socks back in the box. “Now turn around, the nabe is boiling.”

“My pot!” Atem exclaimed and turned around to attend to his food while Seto took the box to set it on the kitchen table to be dealt with later. 

* * *

The next morning, when Mokuba stumbled downstairs he spotted both Atem and Seto already in the kitchen, sitting side by side at the table reading the newspaper together. Mokuba offered a tired greeting and found the little breakfast left for him and took a seat opposite them, chewing on some rice half heartedly. Atem tightened his grip he had on Seto’s shoulder and yawned before addressing the younger Kaiba. 

“Did you sleep well?”

“Mmhmm,” Mokuba nodded and swallowed his food, “did you guys resolve the… stocking issue?”

“It’s been dealt with,” Atem smiled and looked at the kitchen clock. He gasped and stood. “I have to go finish getting ready,” he said, placing a kiss on top of Seto’s head before jogging out of the room. Mokuba looked down and chuckled, returning his attention to his brother. 

“I see he has a new pair of Dark Magician socks,” he said and sipped his juice. “I take it you lost the battle?”

“Just like he said,” Seto coughed and folded the newspaper before standing. “It was dealt with.” He picked up his mug and walked over to the coffee maker to refill it, “Did you want me to take you to school or do you want Isono to take you?”

“Actually, Tanaka is going to pick me up,” Mokuba said, when something unusual caught his eye. He looked down at the floor right where Seto was standing and blinked. That was unusual to see his brother wearing anything but black or grey socks… and… were those Blue Eyes White Dragons printed all over the white fabric?! “Uh… Nii-Sama—“

“Good, make sure you don’t keep him waiting, okay?” Seto cut in and marched out of the room. “Don’t forget to put your dishes in the sink!”

“Uh… o-okay!” Mokuba shook his head and stood to do just that before following his brother out of the kitchen. 

Maybe he should order another storage box for his brother for Christmas. 


	12. Posessive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 12: Posessive  
> Rating: PG for language
> 
> Summary: Seto can’t find his cologne and Atem may know why; or is there something more behind the hidden perfume?
> 
> NOTES: takes place in my AU world where Atem is a model/spokesman for Kaiba Corp. and been in an open relationship with Seto Kaiba for over a decade. 
> 
> Sorry this is so late going up, it was a physically and mentally exhausting day and I needed a breather. Please enjoy!

* * *

“Atem… did you hide my cologne again?” Seto frowned and rifled through the various bottles and jars on their shared bathroom counter, unable to find the specific diamond shaped container. He was sure he’d seen it yesterday before bed, and now it was gone. 

Outside in the bedroom, his lover’s response immediately made the taller man suspicious. “I have nooo idea what you’re talking about.”

Seto rolled his eyes and walked back into the room, arms crossed and eyes narrowed accusingly. “What did you do with it, ‘tem?”

Atem blinked and tilted his head, trying to look innocent. “What did I do with what, My Love?”

Seto took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead. “... ‘tem… love of my life, the man I’m going to _marry_ in less than three months. Give me my cologne.”

Atem’s innocent act disappeared and he huffed, marching over to his side of the bed. “Fine,” he said and took the bottle out of his drawer, tossing it on the bed. “Have it back. Make me suffer.”

“How am I making you suffer with cologne?” Seto asked with a snort, grabbing the spray and squeezing two spritzes on both wrists and one on the back of his neck. “I thought you liked this stuff…”

“Oh I do,” Atem nodded and walked around the bed to stand in front of his fiancé. “I love it… but so do other people and we’re going to be around _a lot_ of people tonight. They always get handsy!”

Another eye roll and Seto leaned down to kiss Atem’s forehead, and then lips. “No one is going near me,” he said, “you won’t let them; honestly, people think _I’m_ the possessive one?”

“You are!” Atem exclaimed and wrapped his arms around Seto’s neck, leaping into his arms. “But people think that just because I’m smaller I will not drop kick someone’s kneecaps if they try and make a pass at you. And your cologne is a huge magnet. I saw someone follow you into the bathroom once following your scent!”

Seto chuckled and looked over at the clock on the nightstand. They were attendees for some gala tonight that he really had no idea what it was for; all he knew was that any donations given were going to charity and he and Atem were specifically invited. The CEO was not a major fan of large events that weren’t linked to duel tournaments, but the publicity was good for business and also gave him a bit of entertainment. 

The thing was, although Atem thrived being in the spotlight and in public places, he was not one to share. More specifically, he didn’t like to share Seto. If people lingered around too long, or someone tried to flirt with the brunette, the Egyptian would politely, yet viciously, make some comment to the would-be invader and then steer the CEO away. As Atem spat obscenities in Arabic, Seto was snickering at the whole situation.

And apparently, his cologne was the culprit of so many people wanting to get close to him. 

He supposed there was some truth to it. Atem already had his nose pressed against Seto’s neck and inhaled the musky scent before kissing the skin just under his lips. Well… maybe he could do something. 

With a lecherous grin, Seto pulled Atem’s face out of his neck and kissed him deeply, crawling up onto the bed and laying him down. “We have a few minutes before we need to really get going… how about you mark your scent on me instead?”

Atem blinked and then matched Seto’s grin, flipping them around and pressing Seto into the bed. 

“My pleasure.”

* * *

_Okay, if that reporter steps any closer to MY fiancé she is going to lose all her fingers and an eye,_ Atem thought as he stood at Seto’s side, holding tight to his hand while the billionaire spoke to the overly flirtatious woman. Not that he could blame her. Seto looked absolutely stunning. As the event was not overly formal, the CEO had taken a few liberties with his suit; the black slacks were just tight enough and a paired with shined loafers, along with a matching jacket that cinched at the waist from the corset design on the back, and a red vest over a white button down. Oh, that shirt! This particular piece of fabric had a flared, open collar that exposed his collarbones and created such a tantalizing image. 

Atem knew it was because the bitch’s eyes trailed back down to the exposed skin and he narrowed his own. He pressed against Seto and laid a hand on his fiancé’s chest, and smirked when he watched her eyes flare angrily before disguising it with a fake smile. _That’s right, harlot. He’s my man._

Once the interview was over, they both bowed and walked further down the red carpet, Atem refusing to release his grip on Seto. Camera lights flashed and people shouted at the couple but the Egyptian had enough. He didn’t want to share anymore and he felt Seto wrap a comforting arm around his waist. 

“You seem a bit edgier than usual,” Seto said over the screaming fans and nosey reporters. 

Atem sighed and they finally entered the building where the event would take place, glad to be away from all the noise. “Do I? Guess I didn’t realize,” he mumbled. “It just seems like… like I’ve had to share you more than usual...”

Seto frowned deeply. His lover had a point; the last few months have been rather hectic ever since they announced their engagement to the world. Reporters were hounding them harder as of late, more people were scrambling for interviews and inside scoop on the wedding planning and it was hard to find time to breathe. The longer it went on, the more… clingy, Atem started to get. Looking around the large space, Seto spotted a staircase with a little nook underneath, and he grabbed Atem’s wrist, leading him around and behind so they were hidden from view. 

Away from lights, people, and noise, he tucked blonde bangs behind a tanned ear. “Hey… listen to me. Everything is going to be okay. I know things are really stressful right now with the planning and reporters and all that shit. But after the wedding, they’ll get bored and tired of us and then things will die down again. Remember when we first started dating? They had a field day.”

“I remember,” Atem replied, fiddling with the buttons on Seto’s vest. He’d nearly punched a reporter who had tried to insinuate that he was only dating the billionaire for his money. But after the novelty wore off, people hcalmed down so why was it bothering him now? A deep sigh and he looked up into his lover’s eyes. “Maybe I’m afraid someone will take you away from me. That you’ll realize I’m…”

“I’m going to stop you right there,” Seto said firmly, gripping Atem’s chin between his finger and thumb. “There is no one out there in the whole universe I would rather be than with you. _No one_ is going to take me away from you or you from me,” he pulled aside the collar of his shirt to expose the rather large hickey on his skin, the purple color nestled right where neck meets shoulder. “And I have my proof right here.”

Atem bit his lip and lunged, kissing Seto deeply and wrapping his arms around his neck. God, did he love this man! He couldn’t wait to marry him. When he pulled back, his smile returned and he fixed Seto’s shirt so his mark was visible and prominent, hands splayed across his chest. 

“Damn right no one is taking you away,” he said and the billionaire smirked, bumping their noses together. 

“Come on, we need to get back to the party,” he said, arm back around Atem’s waist as they returned to the haggle of people entering the venue hall. A few people stared when the spotted Seto with the obvious hickey on his neck and Atem held his head high and proudly. 

_That’s right, everyone. Go ahead, stare. Understand this:_

_He’s mine._


	13. Letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 13: Letter  
> Rating: PG
> 
> Summary: Seto and Atem have received quite a few letters of congratulations for their engagement. Now, Atem receives a letter he wasn’t expecting. 
> 
> NOTES: Set in my AU world. Atem is a model/spokesman for Kaiba Corp. and been in a relationship with Seto Kaiba.

* * *

“Seto, Darling, this is not that hard of a choice!” Atem said wearily as he and his fiancé pulled into the garage, “all the coordinator wanted to know was if you preferred dark chocolate to milk chocolate for the truffles!”

“I’ll have you know that it is indeed a hard choice,” Seto replied, parked the Mercedes and turned off the car. “What else are you pairing with the chocolate? What type of chocolate is it? Is it pasteurized milk or heavy whipping cream? You can’t just throw it aside as if it’s all the same! It’s not.”

Atem rolled his eyes but smiled as they exited the car and entered the mansion through the mud room connected to the kitchen. Only Seto would get worked up over something as simple as chocolate but then again, it was the only sweet the CEO enjoyed so of course, only the best would do. They were currently planning their wedding and met with the wedding planner to discuss the various desserts that would be available to their guests; an hour taste testing turned into a three hour debate over the merit of cocoa beans and the “correct” way to make chocolate. 

Slipping out of his light jacket, Atem set it on the hook and then kicked off his shoes. “Listen, if you are concerned over your precious chocolate, why not hire your favorite chocolatier from France? You know, the one that makes your special birthday cake every year.”

“He makes one cake a year for me, ‘tem,” Seto replied, his coat now hanging next to its partner. “Not for a guest list of nearly five hundred.”

“Oh come now, his job is to make chocolate,” Atem scoffed and pecked the brunette on the lips, walking over to the kitchen table where the daily mail was placed. “Besides, you’re rich, you can even have him flown in special.”

“Ah, so it’s convenient to use my billionaire status when it suits our wedding,” Seto teased and then stilled. Atem stood by the table with a frown on his face, eyes focused on the pile of letters. They’d gotten quite a few congratulations from friends and acquaintances recently. The mansion was overflowing with flower bouquets, and the Egyptian even started a scrapbook to keep all the cards and letters sent to them. Whenever he saw them waiting on the table, he would smile and immediately open the colorful envelopes and coo over the messages. 

Which was why his frown concerned the CEO. There were at least five new cards that he could tell, yet Atem only focused on the top one. It was a simple envelope, yet high quality; Seto could see the embossed letterhead from where he stood. This wasn’t an ordinary letter. 

This was an official letter; that meant it could only be from one person. 

Seto walked over and stood behind Atem just as he slowly reached out and picked up the envelope, holding it between his hands. “... are you going to open it?”

Atem swallowed and bit his lip, turning the letter around to look at the name and address on the flap. “I don’t know… last time we spoke he wasn’t very happy with me… then again, he basically said never return to Egypt.”

“You think he heard of the engagement?” Seto asked, running his hands up and down Atem’s shoulders soothingly. 

“I don’t know…” his hand shook and hovered over the opening. The last time he had spoken with his father was nearly three years ago after his twenty-first birthday. Atem’s father was the current ambassador to Japan and was what many considered to be a strong and resolute man. Yet, he had found love and married one of Sugoroku’s daughters, who later died from cancer when Atem was fifteen. Ever since, the young teen threw himself into duel monsters and modeling, gaining fame and status for not only his good looks, but his incredible skill at dueling. 

Atem’s relationship with his father was a strained one. He did not agree with his son’s alternative lifestyle and had tried very hard to get him into politics like himself. That only made Atem push back harder and spent more time in his second home country of Japan than in Egypt. 

Which was how he met Seto. They dueled in countless tournaments together as rivals, later becoming a spokesman for Kaiba Corp., and then eventually the two became a couple. When their relationship was made public, Atem’s father sent a scathing letter denouncing his relationship and that he needed to “stop this foolishness” and return home to marry the woman he picked out. 

The next day, on his twenty-first birthday, Atem went to the embassy and removed his dual-citizenship and claimed Japan his birth nation, and lost all contact with his father afterward. 

That had been five years ago. 

Seeing Atem hesitate didn’t sit well with Seto but his fiancé needed to make the choice himself whether to read the letter or not. Squeezing his shoulders, he pressed a kiss to his temple and stepped to the side to give him some space. 

Alone, Atem stared at the envelope for a long moment, unsure what to do. Should he open it? Should he just throw it away? Neither have spoken in so long… taking a deep breath, Atem found the letter opener resting on the credenza near the back door and sliced through the top. He unfolded the ornate piece of paper and tossed the envelope aside. 

Seto leaned against the kitchen counter, watching his lover carefully. Atem paced back and forth slowly as he read the letter, one arm wrapped tight around his waist; a habit when he felt stressed or anxious about something. A flurry of emotions fluttered across his face, brows furrowing and widening, causing the red of his eyes to shift with his emotions. They finally settled on a deep red, glaring down at the words written in front of him. His fingers curled, the letter shaking in his hand as it crinkled and creased. Tears clung to his lashes and he suddenly ripped the paper in half, then again, and again, and again. The pieces fell to the floor in a rain of confetti and Atem turned away from the mess, hand over his mouth. 

Seto quickly moved to his side and wrapped his lover in his arms, the smaller male turning to hide his face in his chest with a soft, angry sob. He didn’t need to ask what was in the letter; he didn’t need to know. Atem’s arms held him tight, fingers gripping the fabric of his shirt like a lifeline and he bent down to kiss the top of his head. 

“I’m here,” he whispered, rubbing his back. “I’m here…”

“Seto…” Atem sniffled and pounded his fist against Seto’s chest gently, “tell me… tell me I’m not broken.” He blurted. “Tell me I’m not doing the wrong thing—“

The brunette gripped Atem’s face with both hands and growled. “Don’t ever think like that,” he said, “don’t let that bastard try and deny your right to live. Remember what you told me? Just because our fathers were bastards, it doesn’t mean we aren’t valid. We deserve to live the life we want.” He brushed his thumbs along his lover’s cheekbones and he felt his heart break.

It was not often Atem broke down like this, or questioned the choices he made in life but Seto understood how important family was to him. He loved his mother and it nearly destroyed him when she died. He loved his cousin Yuugi and cherished Sugoroku. He also understood the sting of having a father who wasn’t there. A father who was abusive and manipulative. He understood the desire to be accepted by said parent and being denied that. 

Seto pulled Atem back into his arms and hugged him tightly, the two swaying back and forth. Atem buried himself into his lover’s chest and the CEO whispered, “We’re your family now. Me, Mokuba… Yuugi and Sugoroku. Your ragtag friends,” he earned a weak chuckle with that one, “and the community you’ve built around us. That’s your family… they are the ones that matter. Got that? Never doubt their love for you… nor mine.”

Atem pulled his face out of Seto’s chest and gave a tearful smile, rubbing under his eyes to dry his skin. “... ‘s’not often you get this emotional,” he murmured and his tall fiancé blushed. “But… thank you. I needed to hear that.” 

“Well… whatever,” Seto mumbled and cracked a smile. At that moment, Atem’s phone went off and the Egyptian jumped, startled. He pulled it out of his back pocket and opened his messages. 

_ Atem, my boy! Are you still coming over for dinner tonight? I’m making your favorite ramen and gyoza! Make sure you bring that fiancé of yours as well. I don’t want to hear any excuses from him; that boy is much too thin for his height!  _

Atem laughed and showed the message to Seto, causing him to huff. “Why is he always trying to fatten me up? I eat enough!”

“It’s his way to show that he cares,” Atem replied and smiled at the message, feeling his anger draining away. 

Seto was right. He had a family, and one that accepted him for who he was. No one else mattered. Leaning against the other, Atem quickly wrote a reply back. 

_ We’ll both be there at seven, Jii-chan. Thank you.  _

_ See you soon, my boys! _


	14. Glasses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 14: Glasses  
> Rating: G
> 
> Summary: Seto and Atem are called to the Kame Game Shop by Sugoroku and the CEO is trying to figure out why.
> 
> NOTES: Set in my AU world. Atem=model/spokesman, engaged to Seto Kaiba

* * *

“Atem, you never actually explained to me why the old man wanted me to come with you,” Seto said as he parked his Mercedes right outside of the Kame Game Shop. 

Atem just smiled and shrugged. “He just asked if you could come. I promise he does not have any ulterior motive. Maybe he just has a question he needs to ask you, and would rather do so in person.”

Atem did have a point. Sugoroku was not a person who liked talking through text or phone. He was old school that way. It took Atem and Yuugi quite a few years to introduce him to cellphones but still preferred calls to messaging, or meeting in person.

What he found strange was Sugoroku asked for him specifically to come. What could the old man possibly want with him? Did he have some sort of speech prepared for him about how to take care of his grandson? They hadn’t had much interaction together outside of meeting at tournaments but… did the old man object to his engagement to Atem? He certainly didn’t seem against it when they announced their plans to marry last week at their monthly family meet up. In fact, Sugoroku seemed incredibly joyful and happy for their union. 

So why was he asking for him and Atem on a night that was not part of their usual family gathering? Did he put on a facade in front of Yuugi and the others? Was he going to denounce their engagement and have Atem call it off? Did Sugoroku believe he was not good enough for his grandson and demand they separate?

So many questions with so little answers! Seto voiced his concerns to his fiancé but was met with an eye roll and placating pat one the cheek, as if that would make everything better. It did not, and only made Seto’s anxiety skyrocket, but as he could not deny his lover anything, he agreed to meet with the old man. 

With a resigned sigh, Seto turned off the ignition and slipped out of the car to stand next to Atem, both hand in hand as they walked around to the house part of the shop. He rang the doorbell and Sugoroku opened the door with a wide smile and beckoned them inside. 

“Right on time,” he said joyfully, stepping aside so they could remove their shoes and then walk further into the home. “Not that I expect anything less from you, haha! I have dinner in the oven and should be done in about thirty minutes.”

Seto blinked. “Dinner?”

“Will Yuugi be joining us?” Atem asked, cutting off Seto’s question and squeezed his hand. 

Sugoroku shook his head and led the couple to the living room, a tray of steaming mugs already on the table; next to it was also a present wrapped in simple white paper. “Yuugi is off with Ryou. If I recall, they are looking at a possible apartment for them to move into.”

“Oh… that’s right,” Atem took a seat on the couch, yanking Seto next to him. “They’ve been apartment hunting. Any luck?”

“This one has potential but seeing as they are both extremely picky, who knows” Sugoroku chuckled and picked up a mug, handing it to the CEO. “You prefer green tea, correct?”

“Er… yes,” Seto took the mug rather awkwardly, watching the older man with a strange look. He actually remembered his preference of drinks? “Um… thank you.”

Sugoroku smiled knowingly and nodded, handing Atem another mug and picking up the last one. “You are welcome, Seto,” he said and sat down in his armchair. “I want to thank you both for coming here. I know it was rather sudden but I’m happy you could make it and indulge this old man.”

“Please, you’re hardly  _ that  _ old,” Seto scoffed and Atem nudged him in the side. “What?”

“Nevertheless,” Sugoroku patted his belly. “You both are busy men and I know you value your time.”

“We’re happy to be here,” Atem replied, sipping his coffee. “But what did you want to ask us?”

“Mmmm, it’s not really a question,” Sugoroku replied, rubbing his chin, “really, I wanted to give you both something.”

“Give us something?” Seto raised an eyebrow, eyes zeroing in on the object in front of him. “You got a present?”

“Of course.”

“... what for?”

“For your engagement, of course!” Sugoroku said with a hearty laugh. “I know that you aren’t having an engagement party or shower, although that is more of a western tradition, but… call me old fashion, I wanted to get you a congratulatory present.”

“You… bought us a gift?” Seto said slowly. 

“Yes.” 

“... why?”

Sugoroku blinked and then looked to his other grandson. Hadn’t he just said why? Atem caught his gaze and just shook his head, reaching over to squeeze his fiancé’s lower arm. “It’s his way of showing his love,” he said softly, “that he approves and likes you.”

“Likes me?” Seto huffed. “No one likes me.”

“That’s not true,” Atem said, frowning. “I do. I love you. Mokuba loves you… even Yuugi cares for you—“

“That’s different,” Seto cut in, shaking his head. “That’s something completely different.”

Atem’s brow furrowed. “How is that different?”

“Because you got saddled with me,” Seto snapped and Atem bristled, glaring. 

“Don’t you dare say that about yourself,” he said firmly. “We didn’t get saddled with you, nor did we settle! We are here because we care and  _ want  _ to be here.”

“That’s all well and good but I’m sure for anyone else they just tolerate me,” Seto sneered. 

Sugoroku frowned and scooted to the edge of the armchair, waiting until he had the brunette’s attention again. “Seto, my dear boy… we may have had a rough beginning in the past… but know that whoever you were before is not who you are now. I don’t just tolerate you. Why, I am incredibly proud of you, what you have accomplished, and the man you are now. I am proud to be able to now call you one of my grandsons.”

Seto stared, eyes wide, as the old man spoke to him. His words were soft, yet firm, filled with an emotion he hardly remembered hearing from anyone in a parental role. Grandson? He saw him as a grandson? The sound made the tall man squirm and he had to resist the urge to flee, run away from the outstretched hand offering him something he used to strive for as a child. It was being given so freely, no strings attached, yet, Seto knew; if he took it, then it would be ripped away. 

So engrossed in his thoughts, he jolted when a large, roughened hand rested over the one on his knee. His head snapped up and was now face to face with Sugoroku. His eyes were soft, the corners wrinkled with age and years of laughing with his family. He smiled warmly and patted his hand. 

“I have known you since you were fifteen years old, Seto,” Sugoroku whispered, “and while I cannot be the real father you needed… I do want to be the grandfather you deserve to have. You deserve more than what you think you do. Let me show you that you can have it all with no string attached, or ulterior motive.”

Seto swallowed and felt his lips moving but couldn’t find the breath to get out the words he wanted to say. “Sugoroku-san—“

“Ah ah,” Sugoroku tapped his hand and smiled. “None of that now. It’s Jii-chan. And when you are ready to use it, know I will not reject it.”

“... thank you,” Seto mumbled. Satisfied, Sugoroku returned to his chair and sat down with a small groan. Sitting back, the brunette looked at the present again. “... would you like us to open the gift?”

Sugoroku nodded. “Yes, I would.”

Hesitating for a moment, Seto finally grabbed the white wrapped box and handed it over to Atem. Atem nodded and slowly tore off the wrapping paper, folding it and setting it aside to be disposed of later. It was a plain cardboard box, but as they cut open the top and pulled away the tissue paper, it revealed a pair of crystal glasses. 

Atem carefully pulled one of the long stemmed cups out and Sugoroku spoke, “I know it may seem like a strange wedding gift to give two men, wine glasses at that, but these just seemed to fit with who you two are.”

Seto grabbed the other crystal glass and held it up to the light. They were quite striking, he had to admit. The crystal was perfectly cut and molded into a thin flute at the top with a long stem holding it up. What was more impressive were the two dragons wrapped around each of them. Handmade pewter dragons, they wove around the delicate glasses perfectly, their clawed feet holding tight to the wide rims and their heads thrown forward, almost looking longingly at one another. 

Even more beautiful; their eyes were inset with sapphire and rubies. 

Sugoroku bounced in his chair and motioned to the table. “Here, put them down; they create a shape together.”

Doing as instructed, when set upright, the dragons intertwined with one another, heads pressed together in a gentle nuzzle, creating a perfectly shaped heart. 

“I figured you could use these for the reception as your official wedding glasses,” Sugoroku offered and Atem smiled brightly. 

“This was an incredibly thoughtful gift, Jii-chan,” he said. “Thank you for everything.”

Seto nodded slowly, eyes still focused on the gift standing in front of him. A small smile graced his lips. “Thank you… Jii-chan.”

Sugoroku blinked and his smile softened. 

“You are most welcome, My boy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The glasses are based off a pair of handmade pewter ones that I plan on having at my own wedding. They have been deemed MY wedding glasses even when I was like... eleven years old.


	15. Plant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 15: Plant  
> Rating: PG
> 
> Summary: Atem has quite the green thumb, yet one particular plant is giving him a lot of trouble. Mokuba doesn’t understand why he won’t just give up.
> 
> NOTES: Set in my AU World. Seto and Atem are married.

* * *

Atem frowned and shook his head dejectedly. 

“I have tried everything I can with you,” he muttered, “why are you defying me?”

“Atem?” Mokuba poked his head into the little enclosed patio that led to their backyard, finding his brother’s lover standing near the far window in front of a small little table. The Egyptian was frowning, a watering can in one hand, glaring at a small terra cotta planter. “Everything okay?”

Atem sighed and set the watering can to the side. He picked up the planter with both hands, the poor, limp, and yellowing foliage inside swaying with the move. “Not really. Something is wrong with my plant and for the life of me I can’t figure out what.”

Mokuba tilted his head. This wasn’t the first time Atem had to throw out a dying plant. It became a little hobby of his, filling the glass enclosed space with a multitude of different flowers, ferns and succulents. It had become somewhat of a greenhouse at this point, and the smaller male had quite the green thumb. The plants were watered regularly, shifted and moved when more sun was needed, and when they outgrew their pots, were transferred outside where they could live out the rest of their days peacefully. Along the way, some plants didn’t make it, whether it be from unstable conditions, mold, or an incurable disease. 

So why was this plant so different? Mokuba took another glance. This cluster of succulents, Irish rose succulents to be exact, looked rather pathetic. The leaves were dried and withered, the green and purple colors fading to a dull brown or yellow tint. Now that he thought about it, that particular potted plant was Atem’s pride and joy. It got more care than any other plant in the house; hell, it had its own custom made stand. 

Mokuba scratched the back of his neck. He had no experience when it came to gardening. What could he say. “Well… maybe it was just it’s time to go,” he said lamely, “I mean… it’s pretty old… you could always get a new one.”

Atem sighed and ran his thumb over one of the last, remaining good petals. “It’s not the same…”

Mokuba finally asked. “Why not? Why is this one so special?”

Atem smiled sheepishly and ducked his head, holding the pot to his chest. “It might sound silly but… it was Seto’s housewarming gift to me when I moved in.” 

Mokuba’s mouth opened in a silent ‘oh’ and he nodded his head. Now it all made sense. In fact, he did remember Seto actually giving it to Atem the very day he arrived to live at the mansion permanently. Atem had cooed and fawned over the little succulent buds like a proud papa before yanking his lover down to kiss him hard. The youngest Kaiba brother was shocked the plant hadn’t tumbled to the ground when he and Seto started to get handsy right in the hallway. 

The succulent had grown quite large, going through a few different pots along the way to its current one. No wonder Atem was sad to see it starting to fade. 

Mokuba gave Atem’s shoulder a small pat and squeezed. “Give it another day or two… maybe it just needs some encouragement.”

Atem chuckled, feeling a little better at Mokuba’s attempt to cheer him up. He shook his head and turned, plant in hand. “Thank you, Mokuba, but perhaps it’s time to say goodbye… maybe we can give it a proper burial.”

Mokuba chuckled and followed Atem into the living room. “Only you would bury a plant,” he said and then looked up when he heard the front door open and close. 

“Tadaima!”

“Okaeri!,” both Mokuba and Atem returned the hail and the youngest spoke again. “In the living room, Nii-Sama!”

Seto turned the corner, undoing his tie, and his other hand hidden behind his back. He gave his husband a gentle kiss and then noticed the item. “What are you doing with your plant?”

Atem frowned and looked down with a pout, turning the pot in his hand. “I think our plant is dying,” he mumbled, “It’s been more than a week and I just can’t revive it. I’ve tried everything! It just hates me.” 

Seto hummed and shrugged. “Then just throw it away.”

“I can’t do that!” Atem exclaimed with a scoff. “This is a special one!”

“Just get a new one.”

Atem glared. “You’re not hearing me, Seto, husband of mine,” he spat and his lover smirked. 

“How about you get a new one that is the old one?”

Atem’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“What I mean is,” Seto finally pulled his arm around and held up another little pot, this one wrapped with a tiny bow. Inside were a cluster of freshly budding succulents. “Your old plant reborn as new,” he said. “I've noticed the change a few months ago. I figured out how to get its seeds and had them replanted. So… this is still your plant, just brand new.”

Mokuba quickly grabbed the old pot from Atem; it was starting to slip as his brother-in-law’s grip loosened, his eyes wide in shock. Atem reached out and took the new plant from Seto, eyes glistening. He smiled and reached up, grabbing Seto’s tie and yanking him down to plant a kiss on his lips, much like the last time he received a plant. 

“God I love you,” he whispered and Seto smirked, arm sliding around Atem’s waist and lifting him up into his arms. 

“Good, because if you didn’t why did you marry me?”

“Because you have a great ass,” Atem replied and his husband laughed, walking them over to the couch. 

Mokuba coughed and decided it was time to leave the room as the two men tumbled onto the couch - once Atem’s new plant baby was safely out of the way, of course. The youngest decided to take the other pot and set it in the kitchen for Atem to deal with later. 

He was sure there would be a funeral ceremony later tonight.


	16. Standing in Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 16: Standing in Line  
> Rating: PG
> 
> Summary: Seto lost a bet... again... and now has to endure standing in line and do the unthinkable. 
> 
> Socialize with other people. 
> 
> NOTES: Set in my AU World but a glimpse into their teenager lives (17 years old here)

* * *

“Seriously, how did I let you talk me into this?”

Atem grinned. “I didn’t talk you into it. You lost our duel so you had to come. That was part of the deal.”

Seto rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, glaring ahead. The two rivals were currently standing in a really long line, waiting to enter Domino City Stadium. Thousands of people were here, chattering excitedly amongst themselves, friends laughing and jumping on each other, while others were belting out song lyrics and shrieking like banshees. Kaiba wished he had beaten Atem in their last duel; he almost had it! One more play and his rival would have been destroyed. The other teen would finally have to admit to everyone that he, Seto Kaiba, was the best!

Then, Atem pulled some strange trap, seemingly right out of his ass, and clinched the win! Dammit! He smirked from across the platform, eyes shimmering knowingly that his rival was now being forced to do something he didn’t want to do. 

Socialize with other teenagers their age. 

Who the hell was Linkin Park anyway?

“I promise, Kaiba, you will like this band,” Atem assured and patted his arm; Seto narrowed his eyes and yanked away with a huff. At least his rival looked pretty cool with his choice of clothing. Atem opted for a pair or just tight enough black jeans with strategic rips on the upper thighs and knees, a band t-shirt with the collar cut off so it hung off one shoulder, an actual  _ dog collar _ , and thick combat boots. He also lined his eyes with way more eyeliner than usual yet… it suited the seventeen year old. 

Not that Kaiba would admit it out loud. He himself dressed down for this - he didn’t need people recognizing him out with his rival - so instead of his crazy trench coats and buckles, he opted for a pair of jeans, a baggy blue shirt and with a light bomber jacket; and although he loathed the thought, he wore a baseball cap with a blue eyes stitched on the front. Mokuba had insisted he buy it and wear it so why not now when he was trying to go incognito?

Someone ahead of them began shouting something into a megaphone and finally, the line began moving. Inch by inch, Atem standing in front of Seto, grinning and fiddling with the multitude of bracelets on his arms. Seto rolled his eyes and nudged him in the back. “Stop fidgeting, you’re driving me nuts.”

“What?” Atem looked over his shoulder, perfectly coiffed eyebrow raised. “I’m just excited to start moving. This band is really hard to get tickets for. It’s a good thing you’re Seto Kaiba and you can do anything.”

“So that’s why you wanted to duel me,” Seto glared. “Because if I lost I had to buy you the tickets! Was I just a cash grab?”

Atem smirked and shook his head, holding back a snicker. “Kaiba, a bet is a bet,” he said, turning around. “But no, it wasn’t a cash grab. I knew that if I just asked you to come with me, you wouldn’t. Buuuut, if I made it a bet, then you’d have to fulfill your end of the bargain because your pride won’t let you say no.”

“So it  _ was  _ all about the money.” Seto said and Atem rolled his eyes, smacking his chest. 

“No, you doof!” The shorter teen exclaimed. “I wanted you to come with me because you’re my friend!”

Seto blinked and made a face. Wait… Atem thought he was a friend? Wait… “What?”

“Shall I say it slower?” Atem laughed; the look of confusion on his rival’s face was quite endearing. “You. Are. My. Friend, Kaiba.”

“Uh…” Seto’s mouth snapped shut and he looked down at the smaller teen standing in front of him. How could someone so short have such an intense aura around them? Atem’s red eyes were bright, confident, and above all, truthful. No matter what, his rival  _ never  _ lied to him, sometimes even confided in him when others weren’t around. 

Could it be possible to be friends and rivals at the same time? Not from Seto’s experience. Rivals were meant to be crushed under foot and humiliated. At least that’s what he had been taught by the bastard of an adopted father. It was how Kaiba dueled, making sure to leave an everlasting mark on the loser. Atem was so different. Of all the times they’ve dueled, never did the other teen taunt, demean, or belittle him. In fact, after every duel he would congratulate Kaiba on a well played game; Seto would then vow to beat him next time, returning to the field even harder and with more determination. 

And each time, Atem would meet him on equal footing, bringing all he had to give not only Seto the game of his life, but their fans one hell of a show. 

Two years this went on. Why was Seto only now realizing this?

The line took another turtle step forward and the young CEO realized he’d gone silent and Atem was waiting for some kind of response. Clenching his jaw, Seto bumped his arm against his rival to get him moving and said, “... if I don’t like this band, then you have to pay for dinner afterward.”

Atem grinned and nodded. “And if you do like it, then you have to pay for dinner,  _ and  _ come over to the game shop to play video games after work with me and Yuugi tomorrow.”

“Fine, but it won’t happen,” Seto replied and they shook on it. The line finally started moving faster and they handed over their tickets to enter the stadium. 

Three hours later, the two teens were at the merchandise table buying a bunch of t-shirts, hoodies, and other swag, and Seto had the limo take them to Atem’s favorite Mediterranean restaurant for dinner. At six p.m. the next day, Seto’s limo pulled up to the Kame game and Atem met Seto at the door with another knowing grin. 

“Hurry up, we just ordered pizza,” he said, letting the taller teen inside and closing the door. “Told you so.”


	17. Movie Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 17: Movie Night  
> Rating: G
> 
> Summary: Teenager Seto lost another bet and is forced into a sleepover with his rival/friend Atem and they decide to watch quite a unique movie. 
> 
> NOTES: AU world. Seto and Atem are 17 years old. And please excuse grammar mistakes, this is being posted in a rather big hurry as I’m exhausted from work and other personal things going on in life. But please enjoy.

* * *

“... ‘tem, you pick the weirdest things to do for your part of the bet.”

“And you need to redefine what weird actually means, because this is a normal, teenager thing to do.”

Seto rolled his eyes but allowed Atem inside his home. It was a Saturday night and normally the teen would be at Kaiba Corp. locked away in his office tinkering or working on some sort of financial report, Mokuba resting on the couch playing some strange video game well into the night. What else did a seventeen year old CEO do, who didn’t have any friends? 

Oh that’s right… he had a friend now. A friend and rival who was hell bent on driving him absolutely insane with the stupidest of activities whenever he lost a bet or game! 

Okay, so the concert had been cool. So was the strange little festival Domino held during cherry blossom season - although he had no idea why they couldn’t wear normal clothes and just HAD to put on a yukata with sandals. And who would have thought it, Seto enjoyed playing basketball with Atem and his little haggle of followers; he also tossed Jounouchi hard on his ass so that helped a bit. 

But perhaps they were going too far now. This wasn’t some social or family gathering outside in public. No, this was a little more… intimate. At least that’s how it felt to Seto as he and Atem walked side by side to the entertainment room. Atem grinned and tossed a duffel near the table and then took off his backpack, setting it down near the couch. 

Atem was over for a sleepover. He would stay here for a whole night and the rules were simple. Seto had to sleep downstairs in the entertainment room with him, they were going to eat a bunch of snacks - and maybe some beer Jounouchi managed to sneak them - and have an old fashion movie night of Atem’s choosing. 

Seto wished he had won the last basketball match. 

“So… you’re here now,” Seto muttered, flopping down on the couch. “And don’t forget to keep it down; Mokuba was kind enough to accept your request and go to be early.”

“Tell him thank you for me,” Atem chuckled and sat next to his rival, pulling his legs up onto the couch. “Let’s get the snacks and drinks all set up, you pop in the movie, and then we’ll just relax here! Afterward we can play a game or something and stay up as late as we can!”

Seto made a face. Teenagers actually did this for fun? How can anyone just do… nothing, and think it was an amazing thing? But, a deal was a deal so the taller teen shrugged and stood. “Fine,” he said, and held out his hand. “What sorta movie did you bring for us to watch?”

“I think you’ll like it,” Atem grinned and rummaged through his backpack and tossed Seto the case. 

Seto’s eyes widened the massive painted lips on the cover, along with… “Why is there a drag queen lying on a pile of lips, wearing heels? What the hell is this!”

Atem laughed and fell over sideways, clutching his stomach. “Oh my god, you’ve never heard of  _ Rocky Horror Picture Show _ ?!” He cried, and squealed when Seto smacked him with a couch pillow. “It’s a musical! And that’s not a drag queen but a transvestite.”

“What the hell is a transvestite?” Seto asked. He flipped the case over to read the synopsis and he pursed his lips. “... I don’t know about this… it… this looks kinda stupid.”

Atem pouted and returned to a sitting position, pillow resting in his lap. “Please, Kaiba? I promise that if you really don’t like it, we can stop watching it. I just wanted to introduce you to something I really liked and can’t really share with others… like my dad.”

Seto frowned. Although Atem was known for being quite an eccentric, only a few people were privy to his private life; one being his partner preference. In fact, they both carried a secret that could be damaging to both their careers. 

That they were both gay. Seto kept it a secret to protect his brother and company. Atem did it to make sure he didn’t get hurt by his strict, religious father. 

Seto looked down at the DVD case again. He supposed it wouldn’t be too horrible to sit through this strange movie Atem liked so much. It made him happy… shrugging a shoulder, he turned and started the DVD player, missing the excited smile from his rival as he put the disc inside and then turned on the TV. 

“You’ll get twenty minutes,” Seto said and sat down just as Atem returned with his bag, pulling out the snacks. 

“Thirty minutes and I guarantee you’ll be hooked,” Yami countered and the brunette rolled his eyes. 

“Fine,” he said and clicked play. 

Truthfully, it was more fun watching Atem than enjoying the actual movie. Seto wasn’t much for musicals, or any movies for that matter, but he liked watching his rival. He had a permanent grin on his face, pillow still tight to his chest as he bobbed and sang with the songs. Seto’s eyes nearly fell out of his head when Dr. Frankenfurter made his grand entrance - even if he was secretly admiring Tim Curry’s nicely toned legs - and then came Rocky. He was attractive, yes, but his type was… 

Seto’s eyes returned to Atem, who gasped and bounced excitedly as a new character entered the room on a motorcycle. His rival then jumped off the couch, startling the other teen, and then began singing with the song. He danced in front of the other and Seto struggled not to laugh but failed. A grin filtered across his face and Atem returned it, singing harder. At one point he tried to pull Seto off the couch and only laughed when the teen started pelting him with popcorn, the two tumbling back onto the couch in a tangle of limbs. 

By the end of the movie, Seto’s opinion of the movie hadn’t really changed but he had lost all interest. Right now, he and Atem were curled up on the couch, the smaller male resting against his chest and his arm around his tiny waist. Atem was struggling to stay awake and failing miserably, eyes fluttering open and closed. Seto found he rather liked the other teen laying next to him like this. He liked holding him, seeing up close and personal how long his eyelashes were, now resting against tanned skin. Atem just… fit. The movie credits started to scroll up the screen and Seto carefully found the remote to turn off the TV and then dim the lights. 

Maybe he could get used to this whole friendship thing. 

Seto found the throw on the back of the couch and covered them both, keeping his end of the deal and staying with Atem for the rest of the night. 


	18. Silver

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 18: Silver  
> Rating: PG-13 for language
> 
> Summary: Atem and Seto are out and about for date night when something catches the CEO’s eye. What could it be?
> 
> NOTES: set after DSOD with slight AU of Atem having returned to the realm of the living. Also, the next two chapters may be a little late. I’m trying to write something once a day but I am a little burnt out this week so want to take tonight and tomorrow some time to relax. Thank you to everyone still reading and liking and commenting on my work! <3

* * *

What a beautiful day! 

The air was cool and crisp with the threat of imminent snow later tonight, but Atem didn’t mind. The sun was still out, the wind was calm, and people were generally in a pleasant mood which made him happy. Then again, how could he not be when he was back from the dead, walking side by side with the man who figured out how to do it? He was alive, and living a new life with the man he loved heart and soul, who was currently staring at a small jewelry display outside one of the many shops along Domino’s shopping strip. 

Domino was quite lively during this time of December, especially in the mile and a half enclosed shopping center. It was lit up with multiple Christmas lights and garland, some J-POP singer’s voice being broadcasted over the speakers. He and Seto were out on date night, and Atem was feeling something a little different than a high scale restaurant. Surprisingly, Seto suggested the Domino Strip, an enclosed space that had a multitude of shops, restaurants, and little mom and pops stores that locals and tourists frequented. People could buy little souvenirs or find some of the best takoyaki here. 

Atem was quite fond of the boba tea and cat cafes but for now, he’d settle for a milk tea as he and Seto strolled down the street, arm and arm. They occasionally received some strange looks from people but they both ignored it. Who cares if their partnership was still not widely accepted in Japan? They both went through too much to give a flying fuck what other people thought of them. 

A smile graced his lips as he stared up at his boyfriend. It was rather shocking that Seto was so open with his sexuality once he and Atem became a couple. Atem was convinced that he would have to be careful with his affection, not wanting to make the brunette uncomfortable or feel pressured to be so expressive, but he should have known better. Seto never did anything halfway. If he was passionate about something, he dove head first with no fear, no regrets, and made sure everyone knew about it. 

It was refreshing. It was… so unexpected and yet Atem bathed in the attention and never shied away from letting everyone know who Seto Kaiba belonged to. 

Realizing Seto was debating whether or not he wanted to actually enter the little jewelry shop, Atem gave a gentle tug and led him inside. The woman at the counter, an older woman with a kind smile and wrinkled face, gave a traditional greeting and bowed, and Atem returned the smile. 

He then turned to his boyfriend. “What caught your eye, Baby?”

Seto coughed and shrugged. “It’s nothing really…” 

Atem gave him a look and smacked his backside, pushing Seto further into the store. The old woman smiled at the brunette and beckoned him closer; seems a grandmother had to be a grandmother and began to coo over the CEO. With him distracted, Atem took a peek at the display again to see what caught his lover’s attention and found it immediately. 

It was a known fact that Seto was not someone who liked to be bathed in expensive jewelry and gemstones. He may have dressed rather eccentrically as a teenager, but those were large statement pieces that radiated power and intimidation. The only jewelry he wore was the necklace with his brother’s picture in it. But sometimes, very rarely, something would catch the brunette’s eye. 

This particular item was a necklace made of pure silver, handmade from what the Egyptian could tell. The chain was thin, almost delicate to the touch but was polished to a bright shine. The pendant was a traditional, eastern dragon design made of the same material; the three clawed deity holding in its grasp a sapphire gemstone.

Atem tilted his head. Although he knew his preference for gold, and looked amazing in gold, Seto definitely looked stunning in anything silver. He had no idea if it was because of his complexion, or even his personality, but the icy, cold and reflective metal was pure Seto; just like gold was Atem’s. Gold was warm, it was bright and vibrant and just  _ fit.  _ Not to say Seto was cold. 

On the contrary, Seto was the epitome of fire. He was passionate, determined, and non relenting, much like how a burning fire was as it ravages across the plains or burns in a hearth. Silver, however, was a quiet burn. Its icy, cold exterior held a flame so bright and beautiful, it reflected all forms of color and left a gray in its wake. 

Silver was tough. Silver was resistant, and silver could protect even better than gold. 

Silver was Seto; a silver dragon was Seto personified. 

With an affirmative nod, Atem beckoned one of the other employees over and pointed to the necklace, the two exchanging information before the young man disappeared in the back. Seto, having finally escaped the overbearing woman, walked over and raised an eyebrow. 

“What did you do?” He asked and Atem tilted his head and tried to put on an innocent face. 

“I didn’t do anything, Dragon of mine,” he said lightly and wrapped his arm around Seto’s waist, giving a squeeze. “Hey… I want another boba tea,” he pointed to the little stall across the street. “Will you get me one?”

“Why don’t you do it?” Seto snorted, “You have a credit card, you are more than capable of doing it.”

“Yeah but you scare them to make it quicker,” Atem teased and laughed when Seto rolled his eyes. Another squeeze and a kiss on the cheek, and the brunette went to do as his boyfriend asked, and Atem turned back to the young man. 

He set a wrapped box on the counter and bowed. “Wrapped just as you requested, Mutou-san,” he said and took the cash given, returning the change. “Thank you for shopping and please come again.”

“Thank you very much,” Atem smiled and tucked the necklace into his coat pocket. He walked over to find his lover being handed two drinks and grinned when Seto handed him his; a simple almond milk green tea with honey. “See? You got it in less than three minutes and all it took was a well placed glare.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Seto rolled his eyes but sipped his own tea, sans boba. “I’m tired. Can we go home?”

“Yes, Baby, we can go home,” Atem nodded, patting his coat pocket discreetly. 

One Christmas present down. 


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 19 and 20: Frustration and Slow  
> Rating: G
> 
> Summary: Seto and Atem are trying to plan their wedding but Atem keeps noticing that his fiance cant decide on anything. Is there something wrong?
> 
> NOTES: AU world of mine. You know the drill. 
> 
> Oof, this became a strange story to write but like usual, I just let it happen. I combined two prompts for this one as I missed yesterday but hopefully I’ll be back on track after this. Enjoy!

* * *

Atem was about ready to scream.

He stood there, arms crossed, foot tapping against the tiled floor as he watched his boyfriend. Seto’s attention was focused on the object on the counter, blue eyes narrowed in concentration as they scrutinized the little circular piece of metal. This was the tenth one he had brought over so he could examine it, slowly picking it up, turning it around, peering deep into the gemstones for any signs of imperfections or flaws. He then would grab Atem’s hand, place it on his finger and then, once again, slowly perform his examination. 

So far, each ring found the same fate. 

Seto shook his head and tossed it back onto the velvet display with a snort. “It’s not the right type of gold,” was his reasoning this time. Last time, the band was too thin. Before that, the gemstone was not the right color. And the one before  _ that  _ the design was just absolutely subpar; how would anyone ever consider that for a ring?

Yet, it took the CEO at least twenty minutes to come up with that excuse. Atem rolled his eyes and smacked his forehead. “Seto… my dear… we have been at this for  _ four  _ hours and this is the fourth day of this, and our ninth jewelry store! At this rate, you are never going to find the ring you’re looking for.”

Seto huffed and waved his hand at the employee to take the wedding rings away, looking at them as if they were some sort of spoiled fruit. “Hey, if I’m going to marry you, I need to make sure the rings we wear are absolutely perfect; and match the engagement rings.”

Atem sighed and looked down at the ring resting on his left hand. It was a beautiful ring; a simple band of white gold with inset rubies and sapphires and their initials engraved inside. Seto had one in silver. As he twirled the ring on his finger, Atem had to ask. “Seto… how long did it take you to find these rings?”

Seto shrugged and decided he’d had enough of this location and steered his fiancé outside. “I don’t know… a year and a half maybe?”

“A year and a half?!” Atem gawked. A year and… dear Ra, if it takes Seto this long to pick out a ring, they won’t get married until they’re over thirty! Sure, his lover could be quite meticulous but sometimes, it was really frustrating. Seto’s need to slowly dissect, evaluate and disassemble things to make sure they were perfect was both a blessing and a curse. For things like electronics, Atem let Seto do his thing because it was what he liked, it was what he was good at; Atem didn’t understand it but knew the brunette would choose correctly. 

However, planning their wedding had become quite a challenge and concern. Everything was examined under a microscope and if it wasn’t to the man’s liking, it was immediately trashed. Atem still remembered the debacle with the florist two weeks ago. That woman had the patience of a saint and Atem made sure to send her a massive care package the next day. Now, the rings were becoming a new challenge all on its own. 

As they got back in their car, Atem buckled his seat belt and waited until Seto began driving before speaking up again. “Baby… not that I don’t appreciate your slow, meticulous nature of finding the perfect rings… I think you are taking this all a little too far...”

Seto turned a corner and then glared at his fiancé. “So what, you think we should just have some silly old gold bands or a horrible flower arrangement and then moan when our wedding is ruined?”

“Our wedding will be ruined if you need to micromanage everything and stress everyone out,” Atem snapped back, returning the glare. “And it’s micromanaging to the point nothing is getting done! Nothing has been up to your satisfaction. The venue, flowers, rings… even the wedding date! We don’t have one! All this planning and yet you won’t set a date and it’s been  _ four months  _ of planning. Do you  _ want  _ to get married?”

“I’m doing this all for you!” Seto shouted, veering through traffic. “What does that tell you?!”

Atem hissed through his teeth and slammed his foot against the car floor. “Seto, pull this car over  _ right now! _ ” He demanded loudly. Seto snapped his mouth shut but did as his fiancé said, pulling into a parking lot and turning off the engine. 

They both glared at each other, Seto with his arms crossed and Atem gripping the door handle tightly until his knuckles turned white. As the tension slowly began to build in the small confines of the car, Atem finally calmed down enough to speak again. “Seto, there are times when I don’t mind you deflecting questions. I understand it can be hard for you but I will not let this question go unanswered. Do you really want to marry me? Or are you only doing this because you think I want this?”

“Well, don’t you?” Seto asked and Atem groaned in frustration. 

“For the love of GOD, Seto, stop this!” Atem shouted. “Stop with this deflecting and trying to turn the question around on me! We’ve been dating for nearly six years and I’m tired of this! I’m tired of you running away from things you are afraid of answering. I love you. I do, but I will not marry you if you are only doing it out of some strange notion that you have to! So answer me, right now! Do you  _ really  _ want to marry me?”

As Atem talked, Seto’s demeanor changed. His arms loosened, his jaw was clenched, and by the end of the speech, the brunette was looking forward, staring out the windshield. His hands rested in his lap, and Atem stared at his fiancé’s profile, the seconds moving agonizingly slow. Five minutes in and it looked like he wouldn’t get an answer. The Egyptian slumped against the car seat, looking away with a small sigh. 

“Just take me home, Seto,” he mumbled, closing his eyes. “I’m tired.”

“... I do want to marry you,” Seto’s voice pulled Atem’s attention back to the brunette. He hadn’t moved from his statuesque pose. “I never thought I would want to marry anyone… then… I met you and… it has to be perfect,” his eyes hardened. “Everything has to be perfect for you. If it’s not then… who’s to say you won’t regret it and then leave?”

Atem blinked at Seto’s confession, utterly stunned. Seto was worried that if their wedding wasn’t perfect he would leave? That’s why he was stalling? Reaching across the console, Atem cupped his lover’s cheek and forced him to look over at him, thumb brushing against his skin. “Baby… if you haven’t noticed, neither of us are perfect,” he whispered. “I’m not with you because you are a perfect human being… far from it in fact,” he chuckled when Seto gave him a look. “What I’m trying to say is I’m not going to leave you. And honestly, I wouldn’t care if we went and eloped somewhere, or got married in a cardboard box. I love you, faults and all, perfection be damned.”

Seto swallowed and reached his hand up to cover the one on his cheek, squeezing tightly. “... perhaps being extra picky about the right blue for the flowers was a little excessive,” he muttered and Atem chuckled, pulling Seto close to kiss him. 

“Juuust a little bit,” he replied and tilted his head. 

“But I still want to make sure the wedding rings are perfect,” Seto said with a firm nod. 

“How about this,” Atem said as he allowed Seto to start the car again and drive home. “Let’s do custom rings. We can pick out exactly what we want and have them made. No more stores or over pompous sellers. But even before that… let’s pick a date for the actual wedding.”

Seto nodded and reached over to take Atem’s hand in his own. “I think I can agree to that.”

Atem smiled. “Good.”

“I want a fall wedding.”

“I think that would be nice.”

“I’d like a smaller hall,” Seto continued, a small smile on his face. “Perhaps up in the mountains.”

“That sounds really nice, actually.”

“And no carnations in the flower arrangements,” Seto said, turning onto the freeway. “What would you say to tarts?”

Atem chuckled and lifted Seto’s hand to his lips to kiss his knuckles. “If we do tarts, I want rhubarb instead of cherry.”

“A vanilla cake then, instead of chocolate.”

“Half and half.”

“You are a heathen,” Seto huffed and Atem laughed loudly. 

Now they got the planning on a roll! 

  
  



	20. Animal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 21: Animal  
> Rating: PG-13 (rated for abuse and flashbacks of trauma. Please read with caution)
> 
> Summary: Seto wakes up from a terrible nightmare from his childhood and Atem is a little at a loss how to help. Luckily, he has Sophie with him. 
> 
> NOTES: Post! DSOD and part of my Sophie and Louie series. Basically Sophie is an old therapy dog Seto and Atem rescued with Louie who is a Bengal cat. Also, there is mention of dog attacks in this story but know that no breed is born evil and I actually love dogs very much. This is all just to further backstory and past trauma of Seto’s. I would recommend you read “Can’t Have one Without the Other” for further explanation. 
> 
> Thank you.

* * *

“What a disgrace you are, Seto! I bring you into my home, and what do I find? You slacking and  _ sleeping  _ instead of doing your studies!”

Seto jolted awake. He immediately sat up straight in his chair as Gozaburo Kaiba marched into the room and began shouting. He jumped to his feet, arms tight to his side, and head up, eyes down. “Sorry, Sir, it won’t happen again, Sir.”

“That’s a typical answer from such a slacker,” Gozaburo snarled, smacking the end of the riding crop against his leg; the young boy instantly tensed and clenched his fists, trying to drown out the sickening sound the whip made. 

“This isn’t the first time I’ve caught you resting while studying. So have your tutors, people whom I spend a fortune on to make sure you get the best education and proper training, and this is how you repay me? Such an ungrateful child.”

Seto trembled but refused to cower. To show weakness was to bring even more pain. “Sorry, Sir, I will do better!” 

“Hmph, I’m starting to think you were a waste of my time,” the portly man grumbled, but then smirked viciously. “You know I should punish you for such insolence.” He smacked the crop against his hand and sniggered when the young boy jerked. “But I think you might like the sting of the crop since you keep disobeying me. Perhaps we should bring in Boris.”

Seto’s eyes widened and he shook his head quickly. “No, please. I promised!” 

Gozaburo laughed maniacally and stepped back, arms spread wide. “Yes, I think we need Boris in here!” He gave a sharp whistle and Seto whimpered, scrambling back. Outside the door, he could hear massive paws thundering up the stairs and down the hall, slamming so hard into the door it bounced on its hinges. 

Another whimper and Seto slowly backed away. Boris the Rottweiler, growled and bared its teeth, drool pooling from its massive maw as it stalked into the study. Gozaburo grinned and beckoned the dog over, gripping it by its collar. “Do you want to  _ play, _ Boris?” He taunted, keeping his eyes on the scared boy in front of him. Boris barked and snapped its jaws, struggling in his master’s hold. “Ohhh, I think that means he wants to play!”

“S-sir,” Seto held up his hands, hiding behind his desk, “I’ll study harder—“

“Too late, Boy,” Gozaburo snarled and tugged on Boris’s collar before letting go. “Play!”

Boris barked and leapt through the hair. Seto screamed and made a break for the open door; the air was knocked out of his lungs as the massive dog pounced onto his back and then a searing pain on his neck. 

Seto screamed, and the world went dark.

And then air returned to his lungs and the CEO sat up with a strangled sob, sweat covering his face, neck and upper body. The blankets pooled in his lap and he looked around frantically before blindly reaching out until his hand landed on another body. 

Atem started and blinked his eyes furiously to escape sleep. Someone was touching him rather insistently and when he adjusted to the dark bedroom, he realized it was his boyfriend. He rubbed his eyes and sat up. 

“Seto? Baby, what’s wrong?”

“Tell me it was a dream,” Seto whispered harshly, struggling to catch his breath. “Tell me it was all a dream!” 

“What…” Atem frowned deeply, struggling to reach the lamp on his nightstand due to Seto’s deathlike grip on his arm. Letting his eyes adjust to the light, he finally got a good look at the other male. Seto’s eyes were wide and scared, very unlike him, his breathing was ragged, and he kept staring around the room as if something was going to jump out at him. At the foot of the bed, Sophie watched her master with big, concerned eyes but kept her distance for now, Louie nestled against her, head slightly tilted due to the sudden noise. 

Seto’s grip tightened on his upper arm and Atem winced from the sudden pain. He then reached over and carefully extracted his lover’s hand and into his own, kissing his knuckles. “It was a dream, Baby,” he whispered. “Just a dream… everything is okay.”

“No it’s not,” Seto snapped and he started rocking back and forth a bit, his left hand covering the left side of his jaw. He looked like he was struggling to breathe and he kept stuttering. “I-it’s not o-okay it… it… I need to… need to…”

Atem swallowed and felt a bit at a loss. Seto was starting to zone out on him and began curling in on himself, hyperventilating. “Seto, Baby… please, breathe… just try and breathe slowly—“

A soft, gentle whine hit Atem’s ears and he watched Sophie stand up and crawl over to Seto. She very carefully nudged the brunette’s arm that had wrapped across his knees, worming said appendage around her instead. Seto tugged her close and she laid her head against his chest. He squeezed tight, fingers curled in her fur, and his face hidden against her neck. 

Atem sat back, wrapping his own arms around Louie when he came and sat in his lap. The bengal cat gave a soft mew and watched his big sister do her job; it took a while but Seto’s breathing finally calmed down and his death grip in her fur was now lax. Seto slowly pulled his face free and sniffed, eyes slightly red and puffy, but smiled. 

“Hey, Sophie,” he murmured, petting the top of her head and ears. Sophie whined, bumped his hand affectionately and the brunette left a kiss on her nose. “Good girl. You’re a good girl.”

“... are you feeling better, Baby?” Atem asked after a few minutes, gaining his boyfriend’s attention. “Can I get you anything?”

Seto shook his head and looked at Sophie, shoulders slightly hunched in embarrassment. “No… sorry for waking you up.”

“You don’t need to apologize, Seto,” Atem smiled slowly, reaching over to tuck some of his brown hair behind his ear. “Just let me know if you need anything, okay?”

Seto nodded and finally turned to his boyfriend with a small hiccup, leaning over to press their foreheads together. “... it was just a nightmare?”

“Just a nightmare,” Atem whispered, cupping Seto’s cheek. “I’m here. Sophie’s here.”

Seto closed his eyes with a soft sigh and nodded, pressing their lips together before lying back down. Sophie resituated herself, making sure she lay right next to her master and the CEO wrapped an arm around her tightly, holding her close. Atem waited until he was sure Seto would fall back asleep before turning off the light and settling down himself. Louie meowed and mimicked her sister, laying tucked under the Egyptian’s arm. He wrapped his paws around Atem’s wrist and began purring. 

Atem smiled and kissed the top of Louie’s head before whispering to Sophie. 

“Thank you, Sophie… such a good girl.”

Sophie wagged her tail and buried her face into Seto’s pillow. 


	21. Blanket

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 22: Blanket  
> Rating: G
> 
> Summary: Seto comes home to a blanket fort. What else is there to say?
> 
> NOTES: Super short chapter but I’m battling a headache and work stress but this idea was too cute to pass up. AU world where Seto and Atem are both married, 35, and act like children.

* * *

“Tadaima!”

Seto closed the front door to the mansion and chucked his keys into the bowl sitting atop the side table. His trench coat came off and he hung it up, toed out of his loafers, and walked deeper into the house, untucking his work shirt. 

“Babe?” He called out, slowly undoing his tie. It was a little later in the evening, around seven-thirty due to a meeting running over, but Atem should have been home by now. It was still weird coming home without hearing his little brother greeting him at the door but then again, Mokuba was married and living with his wife and son. Still, he had hoped to at least be greeted by his husband. 

Seto frowned and called a little louder. “Atem?” 

“Living room, Baby!” The CEO smiled and followed his lover’s voice, blinking at the sight. 

“... ‘Tem, what the hell is all this?”

Atem grinned and took a step back from his project, holding his arms out towards it as it was a presentation. “Do you like it?! Doesn’t it look cozy?”

“What the…” Seto made a face and finally got a good look at Atem’s masterpiece. There were blankets, dozens of blankets, tossed all around the room. Okay, maybe not all around but they were constructed in the center, draped over the kitchen chairs, stools, and somehow attached to the entertainment center so the back covered the large TV. He walked to the opening and peered inside. How in the hell did Atem get white, Christmas lights to hang on the “roof” of this?! On top of that, he also had their kotatsu out, more blankets and pillows on the floor in a little nest, and what appeared to be their favorite take out and a bottle of wine waiting for them. 

A thought crossed his mind and Seto stood up quickly with a frown. “I didn’t forget a special date or anything did I?” He asked, worriedly. 

Atem chuckled and shook his head. “No, Baby, you didn’t. I just thought this could be fun! I saw it on some program that kids used to do stuff like this.”

“A blanket fort.”

“Yes.”

“For kids.”

Atem winked. “With an adult twist,” he said. “I ordered our favorite food, got us some snacks, and figured we could play some games and you know… do adult things.”

Seto blinked and held back a laugh. Despite the fact Atem was thirty-five, a model, and a bonifide sex symbol, sometimes he acted like a complete child. He peeked into the fort one more time and shrugged. 

“I suppose… you did put quite a bit of effort into this,” he said slowly, watching Atem bounce from the corner of his eye. “And this could be a good research opportunity.”

“So you’ll indulge me?” Atem asked excitedly and Seto chuckled, walking over to kiss his husband. 

“Let me change and then we can crawl into your little blanket cave,” He said and tapped Atem on the rump before heading upstairs. On his way out, he could hear the shorter male humming to himself, something he only did when he was truly happy. 

Perhaps having dinner in a blanket fort  _ could  _ be fun. 


	22. Bite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 23: Bite  
> Rating: PG-13 for language
> 
> Summary: Seto hears Atem struggling in the kitchen and goes to investigate... 
> 
> NOTES: slightly AU Post!DSOD. Atem is back somehow and living with Seto

* * *

“Oh for the love of crap, make it stop!”

Seto lowered the book he was reading out on the back patio and frowned. He turned his head towards the large, sliding doors, leaning back in his chair to get a better view. 

“‘Tem?” He called out, closing the novel and setting it on the table in front of him. “What are you doing in there?”

“I’m dying!” Atem wailed dramatically; Seto then heard one of the utensils drawers opening and slamming shut. “I’m going to die from this unending pain!”

“What the… why are you dying?” Seto blinked and finally stood, walking into the kitchen. “What the hell is going on?”

“I said I’m dying!” Atem snapped back, almost tearfully. He sat on one of the kitchen chairs, left foot raised up and a fork in his hand. Seto then noticed his lover’s ankle was quite red and had a bunch of raised welts leading from the top of his foot to about the middle of his calf. 

“Jesus, Atem, what the hell are you doing?!” He shouted and marched over and snatched the fork, causing his boyfriend to whine and try to grab it back. 

“Don’t! I must destroy this pain before it kills me!”

“Why are you scratching yourself with a fork?!” Seto asked firmly, holding the utensil up and away from Atem’s grabby hands. “You’re digging in so hard I’m sure you’ll start bleeding.”

Atem whined louder and decided to just use his fingernails instead, dragging them over his skin. “But it itches!”

“What itches?!”

“My  _ foot! _ ” Atem shouted and kicked out with his leg, somehow managing to press the sole into Seto’s stomach. “Cut off my foot, it’s too late for me!”

Seto rolled his eyes and grabbed Atem’s foot with both hands, “You are such a dramatic princess,” he snubbed and ran his thumb over the top of the egyptian’s foot. Through all the redness and welts, he discovered Atem’s source of lamentation. “... you have a mosquito bit.”

“Mosquito?!” Atem shouted. “Oh Gods, I truly am going to die! I can already feel the fever!”

With a snort of derision, Seto tugged on Atem’s foot, forcing him to scoot down in the chair. “Oh shut up you’re not going to die, and there hasn’t been a case of malaria or west Nile in Japan. It’s just a bite that should go down in a few days.”

Atem gawked. “A few days?  _ A few days?! _ I’m going to have to suffer this for a few days?!”

“Oh my god, you are so fucking dramatic, can I return you to the afterlife?” Seto groaned and rubbed his face. Without much of a thought, he grabbed Atem and tossed him over his shoulder, ignoring the undignified shriek and the pounding on his back. 

“Seto Kaiba, you put me down this instant!”

“I’m taking you to the bathroom where the medicine cabinet is,” Seto said calmly, walking up the stairs. “Where, if you had asked, I store spray specifically to help with bug bite itches.”

“Wait,” Atem braced his arms on his lover’s back, straining to look at his face. “You’re saying there is medicine?”

“Yes,” Seto smirked and finally pulled Atem around and sat him down on the toilet. “Much better than a fork.”

“Oh thank the gods,” Atem sighed with relief. “Just so you know, I hate bugs in Japan.”

“Seems they hate you too, now sit still.” 

Atem pouted but did as Seto requested, letting him apply the cooling medicine to his skin. 

He wondered if bugs could be sent to the Shadow Realm. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have you ever been bitten by bugs in Japan? Holy god they are relentless! And they itch like a mofo! When they say put on bug repellent when in japan, YOU PUT ON BUG REPELLENT WHILE IN JAPAN.


	23. Sweet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 25: Sweet  
> Rating: G
> 
> Summary: Seto and Atem are asked out for a friends’s night with Yuugi-Tachi and things are a little awkward. 
> 
> NOTES: My AU world. In this Seto and Atem are 19 year old. Also skipped prompt 24 Visual Kei because I could NOT think of anything to write

* * *

“Hey, baby… do you want to leave?”

Seto blinked and looked to his right where Atem sat, arms linked. His boyfriend was frowning, brows furrowed together in mild concern. They were out with Yuugi-tachi, or really Atem had been asked to come and he said only if he could bring his boyfriend. The others were still a little wary of the billionaire, considering only a year ago they were bitter rivals. Now, they were a couple? Jounouchi seemed to have the biggest problem with it but after getting a firm talking to from… pretty much everyone, he seemed to take it better. 

That still didn’t mean everything was perfect between them and Seto. Seto still had trouble being around them, finding only Yuugi and Ryou the most tolerable of people. Honda he hardly knew, Anzu had left the group to pursue a dancing career in New York, and Jounouchi was still as obnoxious as ever; always butting heads with Kaiba. However, they were Atem’s so-called friends, so for lack of anything other than making his boyfriend happy, Seto would put on an air of tolerance and go along with them. 

He should have asked first where they were going because he would have said he was busy. The small group were on their winter vacation from college and decided they wanted to do dinner and a movie night. Seto made a face; he didn’t like movies, and he was not a fan of the places Yuugi-tachi ate at; like Burgerworld, it made his stomach hurt. But again, Atem asked and Seto agreed only if they could go somewhere a little more fancy for dinner. 

One that he would willingly pay for. 

Atem agreed yet there seemed to be another surprise waiting. Seto paid no mind to the movie, dinner was at Atem’s favorite Italian restaurant, and Yuugi had suggested they stop for parfaits at their favorite dessert cafe. Kaiba frowned, and Atem tried to suggest something a little more diverse than straight sweets but in the end, they lost out. So he sat and watched the Mutous and their friends order elaborate parfaits filled with excess sugar and crazy decorations. When asked if he wanted anything, Seto shook his head and ordered a hot tea instead. 

The group of friends then began talking about random topics and Seto took this time to fall back a bit, observing while he drank his tea. His interactions with Yuugi-tachi was still an awkward one. Then again, the CEO didn’t have any friends his age, and anyone older were acquaintances or business partners. How was he supposed to act? Although he was nineteen now, he certainly felt older and had no desires to act irresponsibly like Jou, or go to parties like Otogi or even Atem. Then again, the only person who tried to be his friend was now his boyfriend. 

The group felt the same way it seemed, as they kept their conversation going, almost forgetting Seto was there. After a while, Atem faded out as well and turned to his boyfriend, watching him curiously. He had frowned and placed his hand on Seto’s upper arm, gently squeezing. 

Seto shook his head and shrugged his shoulder. “We can stay,” he said softly so only Atem could hear. “You’re out with your friends.”

Atem’s frown deepened. “They are… but I don’t want you to be uncomfortable either,” he replied in kind, “I know this is a lot for you and I’d rather see you comfortable than feeling left out.”

Seto sighed and gently nudged Atem with his elbow. “It’s just a little awkward,” he whispered, “I don’t have the best relationship with these people… and we have very different tastes.” He watched the waitress come over with the parfaits and he grimaced. “A perfect example is coming to the table.”

Atem chuckled and nodded in agreement. True, what Seto found interesting was quite different than what his friends deemed worthy of their attention. For example, his friends loved sweet things; ice cream, parfaits, cookies, and candies. Seto did not. The Egyptian wished he had known they were going to come here because he would have tried to find a place that his boyfriend would enjoy with everyone else, but a vote was a vote. He tried to find ways to include Seto into the conversations also but both his boyfriend and friends still had issues with one another. 

Although it was a bit frustrating, Atem was more concerned for Seto’s comfort. He was asking a lot of the brunette, having him come out for a whole evening with them, and he started to wonder if maybe it was too much too soon. Despite Seto’s calm appearance, he was beginning to fidget, his leg lightly bouncing and gnawing on the side of his bottom lip. It was pretty red and puffy now, and it wouldn’t be long before he started to get snappy. 

“Seto, if you want to, we can leave,” Atem said again, ignoring his little parfait and resting his hand on top of Seto’s. “I don’t mind.”

Seto looked down at their hands for a minute before turning his around to lace their fingers together. “The fact you are worried about my comfort is enough,” he whispered with a small smile. “I think I can go for a little longer… but I get you all to myself tomorrow. Deal?”

Atem smiled and nodded, leaning in a bit so their noses bumped together. “Deal.”

Seto chuckled and bumped their foreheads before motioning to his lover’s dessert. “You should eat that before it melts. Get you all hyped up on sugar.”

“Hey, I made sure there were bits of chocolate in it for you,” Atem replied with a small scoff. He picked off the chocolate molded heart and held it out for Seto. “It’s even dark chocolate. The only suitable chocolate according to you.”

Another chuckle and plucked the little sweet out from Atem’s fingers, biting off one half before putting the other to his lover’s lips. “We’ll share it,” he murmured and Atem grinned, letting him slide the chocolate between his lips. 

“Mmm thank you, Baby,” He purred, swallowing the remains. “Still a little too bitter for my tastes.”

“Bitter is better,” Seto said, “and you seem to like it as you are dating a bitter bastard.”

Atem laughed and smacked Seto on the chest. “Then I guess I DO like dark chocolate.” He teased and finally dove into his parfait. 

——————

The sudden laugh from Atem pulled Yuugi out of his little discussion with his friends and he tilted his head. Atem and Seto were talking quietly amongst themselves, the smaller male eating small spoonfuls of his dessert while the brunette begrudgingly accepted the portions given to him. They had fallen into their own little world and he couldn’t help but smile. 

Seto wasn’t a bad person; in fact, Yuugi held great respect for him even in their own duels. He knew his life was a complicated one, and it made the small duelist happy that someone could make the CEO smile like that. He also made Atem happy, and that’s all Yuugi wanted for his cousin. 

Pure happiness so sweet it could rot out their teeth. 

Well… maybe not that sweet but maybe a balance between sweet and bitter. 

Feeling he was intruding, Yuugi left Seto and Atem on their own and returned to his conversation with his friends. 


	24. Model Ring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Model/Ring/Chest  
> Rating: PG-13 for adult situations 
> 
> Summary: Atem is at a photo shoot with his boyfriend and is wondering if something is wrong with Kaiba. 
> 
> NOTES: in my AU World, you know the drill. 
> 
> So I wasn’t able to do all the prompts this month but needless to say, this was such a fun and amazing challenge for me. For the last day of the year, I decided to write a story that was floating in my brain since the very beginning but I thought it would be a good way to end Pridecember in 2020. I just want to thank everyone who has read, comment, liked, and reached out to me. Ive discovered some amazing new authors and this has really helped me come up with ideas for my current story One More Time. So to those who have found me through this, welcome! And I hope wonderful things for everyone in 2021. 
> 
> It’s a new year! Let’s do this!

* * *

“Alright, now turn to your left… that’s it, another turn and then look back at the camera… little less pout, more intense stare!”

Atem easily followed the photographer’s directions, turning this way and that to make sure the older man got all his best angles. He turned again and raised a perfectly coiffed eyebrow, brandishing the brand new duel disk on his left arm, holding five cards in his right. He was dressed in his updated “duel” gear; form fitted, leather pants, multiple belts and shiny boots, along with a tight, black tank and a red, leather crop jacket with silver inlets. 

Atem did another twirl and finally the photographer nodded in approval. “Perfect! These are going to look fantastic. As always, Atem, it’s a pleasure working with you.” He walked over to the computer set up and looked over his assistant’s shoulder. “Too bad Mr. Kaiba didn’t want to join you in the photos. He’s a striking young man, and with the two of you, people would swoon.”

“Seto isn’t one for photo shoots,” Atem said with a chuckle, unhooking the duel disk and handing it off to the tech team. “That’s why he hired me.”

“Yet he still likes to come to the sessions,” the photographer quipped with a smirk; they both looked over to the corner of the room where said CEO sat in a chair, laptop open and furiously typing away. Atem grinned; even if his boyfriend looked engrossed in his work, he knew the other was watching his every move. It wasn’t often Seto came to his photo shoots but when he did, he feigned disinterest, but Atem always felt his gaze on him. It made for sexier shots because he wanted to perform for his boyfriend. 

As the shoot wrapped up, Seto tucked his laptop away in his briefcase and stood, walking over to Atem. “What do you think of the new duel disk?”

“You know what I think,” Atem replied, heading over to the costume department to change behind the screen, tossing the jacket over the top. “I like this outfit, can I keep it, Baby?”

“Fine, whatever,” Seto huffed, motioning the costume designer to bag up the clothes; he’d send a credit over the next day, “you still didn’t answer my question.”

“I love it,” Atem said loudly so the other could hear, pulling on a much looser, burgundy tank and then his grey cardigan. He slipped on a pair of jeans and walked out, boots in one hand. “It’s much lighter than the current model but I still think you need it to be versatile for left handed people like me.”

“I’ve been discussing that with the marketing department,” Seto replied and took Atem’s left hand in his, lacing their fingers together in front of them. “We’re looking into adding an attachment that can turn the card field around.” He frowned and turned his lover’s hand a bit, “your fingers are looking a little thinner than usual… have you been eating?”

“Wh… of course I have,” Atem frowned and released Seto’s hand to inspect his fingers, wiggling them a bit. “They don’t seem that different to me… does it look like I’ve lost weight?”

Seto shook his head and shrugged. “Maybe I’m just imagining things,” he said, taking Atem’s hand again so they could exit the building. 

Atem tilted his head and looked up at his tall lover. Something was wrong. Seto wasn’t himself but he couldn’t figure out  _ what  _ was bothering him. It couldn’t be his new car, which they slid into the front seats of the freshly polished Ferrari; a dream car he bought for both of them. It wasn’t due to work. Kaiba Corp. was booming right now; stocks were up, partners were pouring in, and Seto was riding high on his success. 

No, whatever was bothering him was at a more personal level. They hadn’t gotten into a major fight recently, and things with Mokuba were good. Atem noticed that Seto was being more fidgety, his eyes drifting over in his direction. Atem’s frown deepened and he shifted. Had he lost too much weight, or had he put on too much as he was doing more strength training? 

He didn’t think that could be it because Seto told him countless times his weight didn’t define who he was, even if he sometimes felt like it did. 

So what was it?! 

After a few minutes of silence Seto finally spoke, “Are you hungry? It’s nearing dinner and I could go for something to eat.”

“Sure, where do you want to go?”

“It’s your turn to pick,” Seto replied with a smirk. “I picked last time.”

Atem sighed and rolled his eyes. “Oh fiiiine… sushi, we can go to our favorite restaurant at Domino Tower. I could go for some tempura.”

Seto chuckled and switched gears to head to the large train station. “Don’t forget, there are other types of sushi besides tempura.”

“And there are other types than just straight up eel,” Atem countered and childishly stuck out his tongue. 

A quick park and they walked five minutes to Domino Tower, taking the elevator all the way to the top. Seto hadn’t let go of Atem’s hand; in fact, he was now running his hand over his knuckles, in a subconscious manner. Throughout dinner, Atem was starting to get worried. After they ordered their meals, Seto ate rather… subduedly. He didn’t speak much and his fidgeting was getting worse. There were times he would drop his chopsticks or fumble with the soy sauce, brushing off Atem’s attempts to help him. 

After a while, Atem had had enough. He set his utensils down, crossed his arms, and sat back. “Okay, Seto, what’s the matter?” He asked, making sure he caught the other’s eye. “You are acting very strangely… did something happen? Was the photo shoot not to your liking?”

Seto sighed and wiped his mouth, mimicking his boyfriend’s stance. “The photo shoot was just fine,” he said and Atem noticed his leg was starting to bounce. “And nothing happened… just have a lot of my mind.”

Atem gave Seto a look. “Are you sure that’s all? You seem very distracted…”

Seto let out a deep sigh, scratching the back of his neck. His eyes finally wavered and he looked down at the table. “It’s… a personal matter,” he muttered, “... one I’m not ready to discuss but I promise I will soon.”

Atem narrowed his eyes but deduced Seto was telling him the truth. His lover, although complicated, had finally started opening up more but sometimes he needed time to collect his thoughts before sharing them. Atem understood, and didn’t press the matter; Seto would open when he was ready. 

Satisfied, Atem nodded and picked up his chopsticks again, letting his foot brush against Seto’s leg in a comforting manner. The twitching finally stopped. 

Dinner done and paid for, Seto let Atem drive them back home and sat quietly in the passenger seat, once again holding his boyfriend’s left hand. They drove in silence but Atem didn’t mind. They didn’t have to be talking every second they were together, and would rather just enjoy each other’s company. Atem parked the car in the garage and they went inside to enjoy the rest of their evening. 

It was well into the night when the two finally found comfort in their bed after a bout of lovemaking. Seto lay on his back, Atem asleep on his bare chest, cheek pressed against the skin. He could feel his lover’s warm breath ghosting over his skin, causing goosebumps to form and he smiled. Like this, tired and asleep, Atem lost that edge that kept everyone on their toes. Every muscle was relaxed, a sated smile on his face, and he snuggled in close as he wandered off to dreamland. 

Seto wished his mind would let him join, but it continued to pester him with thoughts. They gnawed at him all day, going back and forth between what he should and shouldn’t do, the what ifs, and the if nots. He ran his hand up Atem’s back and over his shoulder, sliding down his arm to the hand resting against his chest. He squeezed gently, grounding himself. 

He couldn’t believe he and Atem were still together, even after eight years. They went through a lot; rivalries, family traumas, the car accident… so much was thrown in their paths yet here they lay, together through thick and thin and… love. Their love for one another may not be conventional to normal people, but neither were normal. They loved how they loved and no one would understand them. 

Atem understood. He understood more about Seto than Seto did. He broke down so many barriers, sometimes forcibly, sometimes discreetly, but whatever he did, he made Seto a better man. He was more compassionate now. His company was thriving in ways he never thought possible. Mokuba now had two parent-like guardians to raise him and he was becoming a strong, independent young man. Atem made things so much better. 

So why was Seto hesitating?

That’s right. The fucking “what ifs” plaguing his mind. 

Seto looked to the nightstand, watching as the clock clicked to midnight. He’d been trying to do it all day. Maybe during breakfast? No, that was a horrible time. During the shoot… too many people. At dinner, it would have been perfect but again… he just couldn’t do it. Now, alone, Seto wondered if he actually  _ would  _ do it. 

Without dislodging his boyfriend, Seto reached for the nightstand and grabbed the little box hiding behind the lamp. He rolled it between his fingers, blue eyes trained on the velvet casing. He hated to admit it but he was scared. Scared of what Atem would do… or what he would not do. If he… he didn’t know what he would do… 

God, he could give a theatrical speech to thousands of screaming fans, or demand the attention of a company boardroom with ease yet he couldn’t utter four, simple words.

Shaking his head, Seto opened the box, took out the object and then turned off the light. 

* * *

Atem woke the next morning alone. The Egyptian rolled over so he could press into Seto’s side, but was met with a cool mattress. He frowned and opened his eyes, looking around, disoriented. True, it was Saturday, but it was only six-thirty in the morning; they stayed in bed to at least seven-thirty before getting up. 

Sitting up, Atem yawned and rubbed his eyes tiredly, wincing and pulling his hands away. What the… he didn’t remember going to bed with any rings on. In fact, he wasn’t wearing any the whole day so what… 

Atem stared at the new adornment on his left hand. It was a beautiful ring made of white gold. The band was thin, inset with one ruby and two sapphires on each side with a very subtle filigree design. It was not like his normal rings; those were statement pieces yet this one was different. It was intimate. It was serious. 

  
  


Swallowing, Atem finally found his boyfriend sitting outside on their bedroom balcony, dressed in a loose, blue robe, and staring out at the grounds. Atem gathered the bedsheet around his body and walked out, biting his lip. Seto hadn’t acknowledged him yet and he finally cleared his throat. 

“Seto?”

The brunette blinked once and slowly turned his head to look up at Atem. Atem shifted from foot to foot, unable to look away from Seto’s stare. It was so open, even in the early morning light. The blue of his eyes swirled with an array of emotions; fear, fire, passion, uncertainty, resolution… it was so intense the other felt as if he was being stripped bare. 

Atem spoke only after he regained his composure. “Seto… what…” he looked down and then held up his left hand, “... what is this?”

“... I believe we still call them rings,” Seto replied and Atem shook his head in exasperation. 

“I know that,” he said, “but… what does it mean?”

It was Seto’s turn to squirm. “... I thought it would be obvious.”

Another swallow and Atem shook his head. “Not quite… Seto, does this mean what I think it means?”

Biting his lip, Seto held out his hand and Atem took it, settling in his lover’s lap. The brunette held him about the hips, pressing his forehead against his shoulder. He sighed and spoke in a hushed voice, “Atem… we’ve known each other for nearly ten years now. Eight of those years have been together. A lot has changed because of it. You. Me. Our lives have become so entwined that I don’t know where one of us ends and the other begins. 

“Yet,” he pulled his face free and Atem cupped his face with both hands. “You’ve helped me become someone who I thought was long since dead. It’s because of you I found my humanity and vulnerability. You made me stronger. But… I’m still a coward,” he ran his thumb over Atem’s newly acquired jewelry, “I’m such a fucking coward because I’m afraid what you will say. I don’t know if I could handle it… this was the only way I knew how to do it.”

Atem sniffled and bit his lip, pressing their foreheads together. “Seto… baby, you don’t have to be afraid,” he whispered, holding back his tears, “deep down you know what I’ll say.”

“Do I?” Seto shuddered and Atem nodded, bumping their noses together. 

“You do.”

Seto swallowed and held fast to Atem. “...’Tem… my beautiful Atem…”

“Say it,” the other whispered desperately. “ _ Please. _ ”

Finally, Seto found the word and blurted them out, “Marry me.”

Atem smiled and kissed Seto deeply, finally letting his tears fall. “Yes, Seto Kaiba… I will.”

A smile broke out on the brunette’s face and he pulled Atem flush against his chest, kissing him until they were both out of breath. Atem curled up in his lap, feeling the sheet being pulled away from his body. He let it happen, soon shifting in Seto’s lap, both naked and panting as their passions erupted. Atem once again lay against Seto’s chest, this time awake in contentment. He looked at the ring on his left hand, a sign of the other’s love and commitment. His desire to seal their fate forever together. 

Seto’s hand came up to hold fast to Atem’s and the Egyptian kissed the skin underneath his lips. 

“I love you,” Atem whispered and closed his eyes, feeling his chest warm when Seto kissed the top of his head and whispered in kind. 

“I love you too, Atem.” 

END


End file.
